The Blood and the Tree
by Shakye
Summary: This multi-chapter (around 30) sets off right at the end of season 1. It's my take on what happens next. Turns out, a group of poeple want the demons out and our heroes will have to stop them, with help. Rated M for later chapters. Check out the TW at the beginning of the chapters to be safe (smut and violence mostly, but check). Femslash Amberle/Eretria. And Will is annoying here.
1. Chapter 1 : Past acquaintances

**A/N :** Hi ! First of all welcome. So for this first chapter, I'm taking creative liberties with the books, you'll see what I'm talking about later. I haven't read them, but I read about them and plucked a couple of things for the whole Bloodfire thing which isn't really explained on the show… So I did my best and I'm sorry if you don't like the divergences. But the tv-show is canon here, well before this point anyway. Okay I'm shutting up now, just there's going to be a lot of swearing for the entire fic, it feels natural to me, especially for the humans of the Four Lands. You've been warned. And there may be mistakes, I'm French, but I'm careful about it.

Oh and we start right where we left off in season 1 : Eretria with the trolls.

TW : A bit of violence and a bit of non-con sexual content (very light but still)

Enjoy ! Oh and I own nothing !

* * *

"It's you..."

That's all she manages to say. She can't believe her eyes. She never thought she would see the blonde-haired, blue-eyed human standing in front of her in troll gear and war paint, again.

"Thought I was dead huh ? I bet you didn't even look for me" he smirks at the wide eyed brunette. "Well I found myself a new family, and they listen to _me_." He finishes with a proud smile.

"So is that what you do with your afterlife ? Lead a bunch of trolls to steal from innocents on the roads ? Well I'm still not gonna marry you, Baz." She laughs loudly at him, earning herself a glare from the man in front of her.

"You think you're funny ? You're bound and on your knees in front of me" He crouches down and grabs her chin with his right hand to make her look at him. "With no one to save you and no way to escape," he whispers dangerously before adding in her ear, "the way I see it, I'm the one who will be having fun."

He draws his head back and Eretria takes the opportunity to spit in his face. She won't admit it but she's terrified of him. They used to be dating, well she was using him for sex but he was in love. Then he asked her to marry him and she said no. He became reckless and kind of crazy, like killing people in their sleep crazy.

He went missing during a heist and the rovers told Eretria he was dead. She didn't care much and if she was completely honest, she felt relieved. The guy was creepy.

But there he was in the flesh, leading the Trolls.

He slaps her hard, making her fall on her side and hit her head on the concrete floor. "Cage her !" he orders angrily.

Eretria feels strong hands pulling her up. Her head is still fuzzy when she's turned around and pushed towards the door she came in earlier. She can't help herself and turns her head to taunt her former lover one last time, her words a bit slurry. "Nice throne, trying to compensate I see." She smirks as he shifts uncomfortably on the very large wooden throne against the far wall.

As she's being pushed around narrow corridors, she recovers her senses and tries to map out the way in her head to find an exit. She might've glimpsed something resembling stairs when they take a left and face the narrowest corridor yet. She assumes the "cages" are behind the heavy metal doors, one beside each other, lining up the left corridor wall. The space between the metal doors and the opposite wall is tight, only one person can pass at a time and on the other end of the corridor are, what she assumes guards, playing cards by a fire. Escape would be hard indeed. The troll guarding this end of the prison corridor grunts when he sees them and opens a door right in the middle.

Her claustrophobia suddenly kicks in and she panics at the idea of being stuck in a small space underground. So she elbows the guard behind her and makes a run for it the way she came and turns left. She sees the stairs and climbs them three at a time, hearing running and grunting behind her.

When she finally reaches the top, she's greeted by an incredible vision. An enormous room lighted by torches all around and a massive chandelier in the middle. At least a thousand trolls are trading, chatting, some are arguing but they all look peaceful. There are even kids playing around what looks like merchant's shops. She realizes this is a market place. The trolls have a market place. Her amazement is cut short by a sharp pain on the back of her head and her vision is blurring as she feels herself falling to the ground.

When she wakes up, the first thing she registers is the painful pull at her shoulders. After a while she decides to open her eyes to scan her surroundings. She's chained by the wrists to the ceiling, her feet barely touching the ground. She's in a death-smelling, moldy and very small stone room as wide as the metal door in front of her. She tries to reach it by swinging herself but her feet fall short of a few inches each time. She turns her head and the wall behind her is quite close, she can kick it easily. Unfortunately it's stone, so it won't do any good.

She decides she needs to do something, anything, so she shouts. Maybe one of them will be stupid enough to come in and she'll be able to knock him out, get his keys with her feet and get the hell out.

"Come on you cowards ! You're no better than gnomes ! Fight me ! Come on !"

No response.

"Are you scared of a little girl ? Know I'll kick your asses even chained up huh ?!" She takes a breath. "Oh I know ! You're too stupid to understand, dumb idiots !"

Still no response.

She's starting to lose patience and decides to go for the big one.

"Or maybe you're just ashamed to have Baz as you're leader. I mean he's more like a boy than a man, how the hell did he get you guys to follow him ?!" She smiles before adding "Candy ?!"

At that the door slams open, revealing a smirking Baz, wearing only a tight black shirt and grey pants with boots .

"Still a fucking charm aren't you ?" He moves slowly towards her.

"It was always my best quality." She jokes. For some reason she's not that scared of him anymore and just wants to kick his ass. "So what the hell do _you_ want ?"

He scoffs. "Why would you assume I want something ?" He starts circling her, his hand trailing her side. She really wishes she had her orange jacket on right now.

Anger boils in her blood at his touch. She still answers though. "Well, I don't know, I'm not dead am I ? So you want something. Get on with it." She regrets that last part immediately and gulps.

He's behind her and whispers in her ear. "I do want something. You."

She's about to kick him hard, aiming as best she can for his groin but her window shuts when he presses into her from behind, closing the space between them by snaking his arm on her stomach and pulling her to him. With the other he removes the hair from her neck and whispers in her ear "I'm going to make you my queen Eretria, I promise you'll like it after a while."

She can feel his erection on her lower back. She's disgusted and starts trashing around, trying vainly to get out of his hold. He's still in love with her, after a year. And still crazy apparently. He moves his hand from her neck to her pants and unbuttons them. She starts to panic at that, thinking frantically for a way out, something to say. And weirdly she thinks of Amberle and what she would do.

"But we're not married, a king cannot bed his queen before marriage." She says frowning, trying to look offended.

He laughs lightly at that. "Nice try, but I've already fucked you, doing it again now won't change that."

Fuck it didn't work. She calms herself down and tries to think of something else. She didn't notice him in front of her until he untied the hold of her leather corset, leaving her bare chest exposed.

Suddenly she feels very vulnerable and she has to fight back her tears.

"But first, you need to tell me what that mark on your shoulder means".

"What's it to you ?" She asks, confused.

He draws a dagger from his belt. "This symbol is everywhere here, and I'm pretty sure something valuable is behind it, after all you are" He adds, a sick grin on his lips.

Gods he's gross, Eretria is starting to feel nauseous only at the sound of his voice. He used to be so sweet at the rover camp, well compared to the other men there. Basically he didn't try to forcefully get in her pants like the others and he could even be funny some times. She noticed him after she had to leave Zora in the middle of nowhere. She was in bits and he provided distraction.

She's torn out of her thoughts by a sharp pain on the lower left side of her stomach. She looks down and sees Baz cutting across her middle with his dagger. He goes slowly, stretching out the pain as much as possible. She manages not to scream at first, clenching her fists and biting her tongue as hard as she can, shutting her eyes to think of anything else but when he reaches above her belly button, a muffled scream escapes her throat and he smirks, happy he got a reaction. He continues though, and she bites her tongue even harder to stop making sounds. Her mind drifts to Amberle, remembering her bloody fingers at Pykon, remembering how she'd give anything to have been the one to save her, how she hurt when Will kissed her. She comes back to reality again when he finally stops right under her right breast. She can't stop the tears from her eyes or her erratic heartbeat and he looks smugly at her.

"Well ?" he asks, a satisfied smirk on his face. She ignores him and tries to steady her breath, knowing damn well this is just the beginning.

"No answer ?" he fakes disappointment and plunges three fingers in her fresh cut, earning a surprised and pained scream from the brunette.

"Go…fuck…yourself !" She chokes out when he draws his fingers back.

"Fine, maybe I should get that little friend of yours and ask her instead. She's an Elvin brunette, probably royal. My trolls don't find elves attractive but I'm sure I'd find her quite…" he approaches her, his blue eyes darker than she's ever seen them and his mouth inches from hers "exquisite".

For some reason she gets enraged at the mention of Amberle. How dare he talk about her like that ? Like he could get his hands on her, like he could touch her. That filthy rat !

Her blood is boiling and she can't resist the urge to head-butt him. She smirks at his shocked and pained expression. He takes a few steps back, grabbing his nose in his hands. Eretria can see blood gushing from his hands and takes the opportunity to kick him square in the chest with both feet, supporting herself with the chains. She sends him slamming against the wall, the air knocked out of him.

The guards come rushing a second later and drag his unconscious ass out while a third one punches her hard in the jaw. She's not out though and he punches her a second time near her eye. That one does the trick and everything fades to black.

She wakes up again, not knowing what time of day it is. She finally notices how dry her throat is and how her mouth tastes of iron… Her blood, as she recalls the biting of her tongue earlier. She also notices the ceiling above her head and smiles when her brain finally wakes up and tells her she's lying on the ground, her hands still chained but at least her shoulders aren't strained anymore.

She painfully sits up and looks around, the room is still empty. But there's an airway to the right wall and she lies on her stomach, careful on leaning on her elbows to avoid her cut from making contact with the floor, to see what's on the other side. When she reaches its level, she can't help the surprised scream from escaping her. A decomposed face was looking right at her, blue glassy eyes, gray-greenish leathery skin with plucks of brown hair on top. She quickly jumps back and hits the opposite wall, panting.

"Good. You're awake, we don't have much time and I have a lot to tell you." A disembodied male voice echoes through her cell.

She jumps again, up this time and searches the small room for the owner of that voice, ignoring her pain. "Where the hell are you ?!" She yells, trying to keep out the fear of her voice, and failing spectacularly.

"It's ok don't be scared. My name is Pagmor and I'm in the cell on your left. There's an airway on this wall too. We need to talk." He calmly states.

She looks down and sees it. She sighs, what's the worst that can happen ? So she grabs her stomach and slides down the wall, wincing the whole way.

"Why would I want to talk to you anyway ?" She won't admit that she wanted company right now, any company.

"Other than the fact that you're alone ? I'm the one who sold you to Cephelo."

She struggles to breathe for a moment. What the fuck ?

"You're lying." She unconvincingly accuses. For some reason, she knows it's true. It just feels true.

"You know I'm not. Listen I'm sure you know you're the Bloodfire by now. But it means a lot more than you know." He takes a breath. " You're a descendant of the Ghosts, a group of human kids who survived the Apocalypse that shook this earth. They found magic and tied their blood to the essence of the Earth to create life again : plants, animals but also the races that exist today. That combined with the radiation created the Diversity. They forbid using it again though because it became a weapon for their leader. So they sealed the power in only one of them. A girl name Tessa. Her descendants were the only ones with the blood and became targets. They were hunted and killed until about a hundred years ago. The druids discovered this magic and understood it's use so they vowed to protect the last Bloodfire, your grandfather. Are you still with me ?" His aging voice called to her.

She felt lost. This was insane. But then again, demons exist. She shrugs, then remembers he can't see her. "I'm still waiting for the part where you sold me to a Rover" She tells him nonchalantly.

"I'm getting there. The druids moved your grandparents to Safehold, where your mother was born. I am the Protector of the Bloodfire since her birth. You should know there is only one Bloodfire at a time and when your grandfather died of old age, your mother received the mark." She rubs at her shoulder absent-mindedly. "She came back pregnant with you, and told me your father died at the hands of rovers who wanted to steal from them. They let her go though, and a few months later you were born." He pauses there and she can hear him sigh. Like a father would about his child, she thinks sadly. "She died giving birth to you, I'm so sorry."

Eretria wipes tears away from her eyes. "What happened next ?" she asks forcefully, hiding the wetness of her voice by anger.

"I took care of you, it was my duty." She's a bit disappointed at that. He didn't want to, it was just his job. "We were fine and happy for about three years until the trolls invaded the tunnels. I couldn't keep you here, it was too risky, but I also couldn't abandon Safehold. My life is bound to it. So I ventured out and sold you to Rovers."

She frowns at that. "You couldn't find me a happy human family ? Seriously ?"

"I didn't have time to look, I was dying out there. I'm sorry. I thought you would be fine, being a part of a strong group. You would learn to fight and protect yourself." He says desperately, trying to convince himself more than her.

"Well, you had one job, protecting me. And you bailed. Nice work druid." She replies angrily.

"Eretria…"

"No I don't want to hear it." She cuts him off sharply, and they fall in silence. Her head is reeling with all the new information but her body is exhausted from everything that happened since leaving Utopia. So she easily slips into a deep slumber, curled up on the cold ground.

* * *

 **A/N :** Sorry for the second author's note, I won't be so talkative in the future, I swear.

I hope you liked it, please let me know what you think, it's always great to have feedback. Next chapter is about Amberle and the perks of being a tree. In a week or before, I promise !


	2. Chapter 2 : Deep inside

She slowly takes a few steps, unsure of what to do.

"Thank you Amberle" an eerie female voice echoes through the small place.

Suddenly she feels a burning ache in her heart, like it burst into flames. She falls on her hands and knees, heavily panting from the pain.

"What's…going…on ?" She chokes out through her ragged breathing.

A calm, twenty something looking elf answers her. "The Ellcrys is feeding on your love. That's how its magic gets its power to imprison the demons."

She jumps back despite her throbbing chest. She didn't really expect an answer from the Ellcrys, let alone one from a magically appearing elf.

"I thought…I was…alone." She manages through the increasing pain, looking up to meet the dark-haired man's green eyes. She's about to ask him who he was when her vision blurs before refocusing.

 _She's in her bedroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She's wearing a silk navy dress, and her hair is tied up into an intricate bun. She sighs at her reflection. She should feel pretty, like every other 12 year old girl who dresses up for their birthday. But she just feels sad, like every other year._

" _May I put on your makeup, Princess Amberle ?" a timid voice calls from behind her._

 _She turns around and manages a warm smile to her new handmaiden._

" _Please call me Amberle, Catania."_

 _The blond smiles sheepishly and gathers her things while Amberle sits on the edge of her bed._

" _What color would you like for your eyes ?" She asks, clearly excited._

 _Amberle sighs, not really caring for this fancy party._

" _Something discreet please, there'll already be too much attention on me tonight."_

" _But this Ball is in your honor. Don't you want to be the center of the attention ?" The girl asks, feeling bold all of a sudden._

 _Amberle smiles sadly at her. "Not this one, no. Not tonight."_

 _The blondes' eyes go wide with realization._

" _I forgot. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me Princess Amberle." She begs, half kneeling already._

 _Amberle gently chuckles._

" _Hey, it's ok" She lifts the smaller girl back up by her arms. "Everybody forgets". She sadly states._

" _I guess I should get ready. It will start soon, and I can't be late at my own Ball." She adds with a small sigh as she settles on the bed again._

 _But Catania doesn't move. Instead she looks at the princess with a huge grin._

" _What ?" Amberle questions, a little bit worried by the girl's change in demeanor._

" _I can get you out of going if you want." She smugly suggests._

" _Really ? How ?" Amberle asks, jumping up with excitement._

" _There's this boy who works in the kitchens. He makes this horrible stew that looks like vomit."_

 _Amberle makes a face at that but gets where her handmaiden is going with this._

" _If you get in bed and we put a bit on your pillow and in a bucket beside your bed, everybody will think you're sick and you won't have to go !" Catania finishes with a triumphant grin._

 _Amberle thinks for a few seconds before smiling herself. "Let's do this."_

 _So she changes into her nightwear and slips under her covers while Catania went to get the stew. She comes back with a bowl of it and a bucket and starts spreading it on the pillow and sheets before dumping the rest in the bucket._

 _When Amberles' uncle Arion arrives, he seems to buy into it and gives her permission to stay in bed._

 _The girls exchange a mischievous smile, before Catania moves to leave._

" _Wait. Would you mind staying with me for a bit ?" Amberle asks her timidly._

" _Of course. Happy birthday, Princess."_

The vision ended, and after another blur, she comes back to reality. The pain in her chest stopped but now her head feels fuzzy.

"What happened ?" She asks the elf pleadingly. She's too lost to mistrust him right now.

" What do you remember ?" He crouches down to her level.

"My chest burned and you appeared. Then my vision went blurry, and then… and then…" She looks at him with squinty eyes, racking her brain for what happened.

"You can't remember." He sighed. It wasn't a question and Amberle's eyes went wide. Not with surprise but anger this time.

"What is going on here ?" She demands, having found her royal authority again.

"We don't have much time. My name is Darren, we met in the Flames at Safehold. I'm the Seed that came before you."

"But, you looked like me. And you said you were dying." She argues.

"I am. And I thought it would be easier for you to trust me if I looked like you. But now, I don't have access to the Ellcrys and its magic anymore. Soon I'll be gone." He says matter-of-factly.

She nods for him to continue but soon the burning in her chest starts again. It's increasing faster and her vision blurs once more.

 _This time she's in the throne room in Arborlon. She tried to convince her people of the real threat ahead with Allanon but they refused to listen to her. She feels like a failure, for the first time in her life. That's when Will enters and, after a bit of convincing, makes a speech._

" _Look, I know what you're all thinking. That the things you're hearing are too incredible to be true. But magic and demons are real. I have seen them with my own eyes. Quite frankly, all I want to do is run away.  
Then I met Amberle.  
She might have been frightened, but she's also incredibly brave. She didn't have to come back, but she did, for all of you, the people she loves. And if I had to put my faith in anyone to save the Four Lands, it would be her."_

 _Amberle is overwhelmed by this guy she just met. He has faith in her. More than she ever had in herself apparently. She feels a new confidence to face what's ahead._

 _She looks gratefully at him, feeling a connection there, like for the first time since her father died, someone has her back._

Amberle's head is throbbing when her vision clears again.

"What… Happened ?" Again the pain in her chest is gone but her head is a mess.

"The Ellcrys is feeding on your memories of your loved ones. It's already two gone." Darren provides.

"You're telling me I just forgot two important people from my life ?" He nods at her. "How much time do I have before I forget everyone ? And what then ?" She adds, suddenly scared.

"Once you forget everyone you love, you'll become completely part of the Ellcrys. You'll still think for yourself but you won't feel anything except pure devotion for it. You won't remember your past anymore. I'm sorry." He pauses there, letting what he said sink in as he puts his hand on the tree beside him.

A few seconds later he adds. "I fear my time is up. The Ellcrys needs three more loved ones, the most powerful ones in your heart." He grabs her shoulders and looks into her eyes. "Good luck, Amberle. Your journey has just begun."

He gets up and smiles one last time at her before fading away. Amberle gasps in shock but she doesn't have much time to think about anything else. Her chest burns again, but this time it hurts even more than before and she collapses to the ground, her hands pressed to her heart, whimpering in pain.

Finally her vision blurs again, she actually welcomes it this time.

 _She's in Arborlons' hospital wing. It's white and very bright, and a woman is screaming. It sends a chill down her spine but it also terrifies her, more than any other scream for some reason. She feels the need to find the woman who voiced the terrible sound and she starts rushing through the corridors she knows too well._

 _Finally she finds what she's looking for in a room on the far end of a corridor. She slowly approaches, not sure what to expect. When she peaks through the open door, screaming starts again. Although this time it's a baby's crying that echoes through the hospital. A brown haired woman is lying in a bed, barely conscious while doctors try to stop her stomach's bleeding. She feels tears filling her eyes at the sight. For some reason, this woman's condition breaks her heart in pieces. Maybe it's because she looks familiar._

 _She's about to enter when she recognizes the figure that arrives beside the bed with the crying baby in his arms._

 _It's her father. So the woman in the bed must be her mother._

 _She bursts into the room, joyful tears in her eyes._

" _Mom ! Dad !" She yells at them but they don't seem to hear her._

 _Her hope flutters when she realizes this is just a vision, they don't know she can see them. She keeps her smile, though, as she watches her mother open her eyes. They share the same shade of blue._

" _Amberle…" She weakly calls._

 _Her father puts the baby in her arms, crouching down to keep his hands under the tiny head._

 _Her mother starts softly singing to her, a sweet lullaby about the sunshine._

" _You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine,_

 _You make me happy, when times are grey,_

 _You don't know dear, how much I love you,_

 _Please, don't take my Sunshine away…"_

 _She's about to continue when she loses consciousness._

 _Her father jumps up and takes the now sleeping baby in his arms before she could fall._

" _What is going on ?" He demands with authority, although his voice is a little shaken by evident fear._

 _The doctors keep moving frantically around the room, but Amberle knows it's in vain, she knows the end of the story._

 _Soon enough the Elvin doctor stop, and announce her mother's death to the Heir._

 _He falls to his knees, and while still carrying the baby with one arm, he starts stroking his wife's hair._

" _I'm so sorry, my love. I swear I'll protect our Daughter the best I can. I love you."_

Amberle is sobbing when she comes back to the Ellcrys' chamber, but she can't remember why. Darren is gone now and she feels numb. She remembers his words and understanding washes over her. She forgot everyone she loved. She forgot love.

But still, she feels a bit of fear of losing someone, but she has trouble figuring out who. Her uncle maybe ?

Her interrogations are answered when her chest aches worse than before, making her fall to her knees again. Her vision instantly blurs and she's thrown into another vision, her last one she believes.

 _Eretria is looking at her, but they're separated by a metal gate. She's going to sacrifice herself, Amberle realizes._

" _We have to get back together." She tries to convince the Rover, pleading with her eyes._

" _No you have to go back." She answers forcefully, but there's also pain and sadness in her eyes. She approaches the gate and her face ends up inches away from Amberle's one. The girls' breaths catch but they both ignore it._

" _Don't you get it ? We all have a part to play. I'm doing mine. Now, you do yours." Eretria is right, but the thought of leaving her behind hurts Amberle way more than she imagined._

 _The Elvin girl knew what her Rover counterpart meant. Lately the two women understood each other better and Amberle believes Eretria and her really grasp the quest and its consequences. Will still believes this is a fairytale and everyone will get out of here alive, which is both heart-breaking and annoying to Amberle. He is full of qualities but he isn't as grounded as Eretria and Amberle found herself craving for realism and pragmatism on her journey, not blinded optimism._

 _She doesn't know when she started caring for the other girl, but now, only the thought of those sad hazel eyes make her heart ache. She's about to reach out and touch the other's girl cheek when the smaller brunette retreats, regret written all over her face._

 _She kisses Will goodbye and Amberle feels something unexpected, jealousy. But she's not jealous of Eretria, she's jealous of Will. She's trying to process her feelings when the Trolls arrive behind Eretria, startling all of them._

 _Eretria quickly kills them before yelling "Go !" while looking pleadingly into her eyes, and with one lonely tear on her cheek, Amberle turns around, dragging Will with her, abandoning the woman who saved her twice in a day, against her very rover nature._

She wakes up again, her heart feels like it's being torn from her body. She crashes, screaming, to the ground, the pain unbearable. Her body starts convulsing when her thoughts find Eretria, and how she'd give anything to remember her smile in this old human gymnasium when they bonded over their orphan state. She can't think of anything else as she feels her eyes closing and her mind slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **A/N :** I'm not exactly on time, sorry crazy week. I'll do better, in the future.

The lullaby Amberle's mom sings her is "You are my sunshine" by Jhonny Cash (check out Elizabeth mitchell's version, it fits better here).

Will's and Eretria's visions are from the show, I just imagined Amberle's thoughts.

Oh and please let me know what you think. I had problems with this chapter (different ideas and I settled on that one) and I'd like to know if it works or not.

The next chapter we'll go back to Eretria, and how prison life is working out for her.


	3. Chapter 3 : Run, Girl, Run

**A/N :** I'm so sorry for the delay, but I have a good excuse : I'm not single anymore ! :D

Anyway I'll try to post next chapter Sunday, but Monday or Tuesday is more realistic. I should be back on schedule by chapter 5.

TW : language (as usual), a bit of violence and light sexual assault

Anyway, enjoy !

* * *

Eretria opens her eyes with a start. She blinks a few times, trying to remember where she is.

Ah yes, the Troll prison in Safehold. She sighs and tries to sit up, but she ends up wincing at the pain from her cut on her stomach and lying back down. She forgot about that too apparently. At least, the bastards untied while she was unconscious.

She's staring at the ceiling, rubbing her raw wrists, wondering about the weird dream she just had. She was at the entrance of Safehold, on one side of the metal gate, staring at herself. It was weirdly very accurate but she saw it from Amberle's point of view.  
And the Elf was very upset, she really did care about her. Amberle was also jealous of the kiss she gave Will, apparently. It was just a "I want to kiss someone before I die and the Princess would kill me herself if I kissed her" kind of kiss but it made Amberle mad. Then Trolls arrived and the princess left, regret and sadness filling her heart.

Eretria doesn't know what to make of this. Sure the girls became something like friends over the last few days and if she's being completely honest with herself, which is rare, she may even have feelings for the beautiful Elvin princess.

But those feelings being shared by Amberle ? She never let herself hope for it. She's a princess and Eretria's a rover, the fact they tolerate each other is already a miracle, so a "relationship" ? But then she remembers what Amberle called them once : "the princess and the rover", which sounds like the title of a tragic novel but also a great love story.

She smiles at that. Although it's short lived when she remembers a certain blond with tiny elf ears.  
Amberle loves him, it's clear as day and he loves her back. Eretria is second choice to both of them and she needs to make peace with that.

She's torn out of her thoughts by a loud rumbling coming from her stomach. She's hungry as hell.

She tries to sit up again and grabs her stomach in pain. After a couple of tries she manages to move into a sitting position, leaning on the wall.  
Once her breathing comes back to normal, she scans the room for anything useful.

She doesn't see anything at first glance, but when she looks again, she spots a pile in the corner on her right. For the first time she's grateful the cell is so small, and she only has to lean a little to grab it.

It's a piece of bread and a water pouch wrapped in some sort of fabric. After gulping down the bread and the water, she wasn't in a state where she could ration, she takes a better look at the fabric. It appears to be a navy long sleeved cotton shirt.  
Seeing as she's half naked, she doesn't hesitate long and puts it on. It's torn in a few places but it does the job. She feels more comfortable, although she wishes she had a bra of some sort.

After a few moments of wondering what to do next, she decides it's time to ask for help.

"Pagmor ?" She calls.

No response.

"Pagmor ?!" She yells now.

Still no answer.

"It had to be a half deaf Druid, didn't it ?" She mumbles angrily while lowering herself to the ground, supporting her weight on her elbows so to not hurt the still bloody gash on her stomach. She manages it without a sound, and finally looks through the air vent.

Nothing.

There's nothing in the other room. Eretria painfully sits back up, not sure what to make of it.  
Maybe he's been moved away, but for what ? And most importantly, what are they doing to him ? What if she's next ?  
Or maybe she's just crazy and she just imagined the old Druid. Come to think of it, she's never even seen him.

She's startled out of her thoughts when the door slams open. Two gruffly looking guards barge in.

"Hey ! You could've knocked... What if I was naked ?" She smirks at them.

They don't answer but they each take an arm and drag her up violently.

Eretria can't help the scream that escapes her mouth at the sudden pain. Her head feels dizzy when they tie her hands behind her back and she doesn't remember to fight back.

They start pushing her through the door and into the hallway, where her senses start coming back. She knows the way to the throne room now, except she still hasn't found an exit. She had bag over her head when they first brought her here.

They're standing in front of the doors, waiting to enter, when she notices another corridor on the right. There are three men at the end of it. Humans, talking quietly to something smaller against the wall. Eretria can't make out what it is because of their bodies obstructing the view.

One of them kicks the smaller thing while the others laugh. And there was a scream, a kid's scream.

Eretria rarely cares about the faith of others, guilty or innocent. Although the last few days could've fooled her. But she can't bare to see children suffer. She hates spending time with them but she can't sit back while one of them suffers. It's probably due to her own miserable childhood.

So she grits her teeth, preparing for the pain coming from her stomach. She elbows the guard on her right and dodges the guard on her left who tried to grab her. She sprints towards the cackling humans who barely have time to turn around before she crashes into one with her full body. The guy hits his head on the wall behind him and falls unconscious to the ground. Dead, she hopes.

The troll kid moves behind her, a bruise on its face. Trolls looked like humans but bigger, even the kids. They had grey skin that became harder with age. So the older, the harder to kill. She learned this from Cephelo when she was just a kid, no older than this one.  
Eretria thinks it's a boy but she doesn't have time to look more into it because a fist collides with her ribs, sending her on her knees.

"Run !" She yells at the kid, who does just that.

"What the hell you crazy bitch ?!" The guy who punched her yells at her, rage clear in his eyes. His buddy is kneeling by their fallen friend, searching for a pulse.

The two troll guards have caught up with her and she was now surrounded.

She knows she doesn't have more time so she smirks and head butts the puncher while getting up, barely wincing at the pain in her stomach.

She's roughly grabbed by the guards who drag her away, towards the throne room. She has just enough time to see the blood starting to flow from his nose.

"Teaching you a lesson, asshole !" She answers him loudly, hoping he heard.

Her smirk fades instantly when she's dragged into the throne room.  
There, Pagmor is lying unconscious on the floor, a pool of blood surrounds him.

"What did you do to him ?" She asks with a dangerous voice, rage clear on her features. She's forced on her knees, but it doesn't affect her murderous glare towards her ex.

Sitting on his throne, Baz smirks, a cruel glint in his eyes.

"We were having a simple conversation, until he decided you were more important than his life". He says in a sarcastic tone.

Eretria doesn't know how she feels about this. She barely met Pagmor, although if what he said is true, he's the closest thing to a caring father she had. Cephelo wasn't exactly the caring type.

"Is he dead ?" She asks in a small voice, not sure she wants to know.

"No, just very wounded. See, the guy didn't say a word since I met him, until yesterday. When he talked to you. My guards didn't understand what he said so I brought him here and politely asked what it was about." He answers, feigning innocence.

Eretria guesses what happened next. Pagmor refused and was tortured until he passed out.

"Why are you obsessed with this Baz ?" She asks angrily.

"Because I want whatever power this is about. I like power" He adds with a sick smile.

He gestures towards the two guards behind her and they hold her down by her shoulders, while he approaches.  
Sensing something bad is about to happen, she starts trashing around, trying to break free. But the trolls are too strong, she can't do anything, so she stops, defeated.

"Oh don't look so sad, Eretria. We're going to have some fun. Don't you like fun ?" He says with a crazy smile, looking down on her.

She starts to panic again, the guy is insane. She's looking frantically for a way out when Baz suddenly crouches down and presses his lips on hers. She's trying to pull back but the bastard put his hand on the back of her head to keep her there.

When he sneaks his other hand up under her shirt and starts cupping her breast, she opens her mouth to yell and he uses the opportunity to force his tongue inside her mouth. Her eyes go wide and she bites his tongue as hard as she can, tasting his blood.

He jumps back, pain written all over his face. She smirks and spits on his face, her saliva mixed with his blood.

He starts coughing with the amount of blood in his mouth and she's being dragged once again to her cell, still smirking.

It dies down after a while, when she realizes that she might face terrible retaliation. They're about to turn in the "prison corridor", as she calls it in her head, when something bumps into her stomach, causing her to hiss in pain. She looks down and sees it's the troll kid from earlier, bringing a genuine smile to her lips.

He lingers on before being removed by one of the guards. Eretria sees her chance and elbows the other guard. They never learn.  
He's bent down, trying to catch his breath. She kicks him in the head, effectively sending him unconscious against the wall. She bends down and grabs the knife at his belt.

She doesn't know how much time she has before the first guard comes back so she sprints down the corridor, not taking chances with the trolls market while cutting the rope from her wrists.

She keeps running, avoiding anywhere with noise, until she reaches a dead end.

She sighs, out of breath. All that running for nothing ? She's about to turn around and face whatever Baz has planned for her when she hears a whistle. It's faint but it's there.

She starts looking for an opening, thinking it's the wind. Only when it happens again, louder this time, it comes from right above her. So she looks up, puzzled, and comes face to face with the kid she saved. He's looking at her with a toothy grin, his head sticking out of an air vent.

She smiles, disbelieving her luck, and jumps up when he moves into the vent. She manages to catch the sides of the entrance and she pulls herself up.  
But the pain from her cut is excruciating and she collapses on the vents' floor. When she opens her eyes again, a concerned Troll kid is looking at her.

"Ok ?" He asks her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She answers, half-groaning as she sits up and looks around. The vent is tight and she can't even sit properly. The only light comes from the flame the kid is holding.

"I'm Eretria, what's your name ?" She asks him with a kind smile.

"Kalom" he answers simply.

Eretria is surprised he understands her, but shrugs it off. There's no time to solve cultural differences right now.

"Exit ?" She asks him, still smiling to look friendly.

He simply nods and starts moving in the air vent, crouching down despite his small size. Eretria, being taller, follows him on her hands and knees, wincing and hissing in pain at each move.

After what seems like an eternity to Eretria, they finally arrive to another metal square. Kalom nods towards it. "Exit".

Eretria nods back and starts moving the small gate. She's about to jump down, when Kalom unexpectedly hugs her. "Goodbye" he croaks out, tears clear in his voice. She smiles affectionately and hugs him back.  
"Thank you" she answers him.

He lets her go and with a last sad smile he turns around the way they came.

She eases herself down with minimal pain, although the landing nearly had her screaming again. She's surprised to find her orange jacket at her feet. She picks it up excitingly, turning it at every angle to make sure it wasn't ruined.

Satisfied, she puts it on, and looks around : no sign of any Trolls, but she remembers where she is and knows the way out. She smiles at that, finally a bit of luck, and starts running towards the exit. She has to stop after a couple of minutes, though, because of the still bleeding gash across her stomach.  
She tears off a sleeve of her shirt and tightly ties it around her stomach, covering the cut as much as possible. She needs to cauterize it fast but she doesn't have time so this will have to do.

She puts her jacket back on and picks up a still lighted torch before starting running again.

She rushes out, only to find herself in darkness. It's night. Luck has run out it seems.

She barely allows herself time to adjust to the new lighting before running again towards Arborlon.  
She needs to know Amberle is ok ... And Will too of course. But if she's being completely honest, Amberle is the reason she hasn't fled from this doomed quest.

So she runs, as fast as possible, fighting through the pain. She can't see well and trips over a branch, grabbing her stomach to protect it. She falls face first, unable to catch herself with only one hand, and smacks her still painful jaw on the ground.

"Ouch…" She whispers through clenched teeth.

She sits up, feeling a bit dizzy, and rubs her jaw. That's when she notices something, further into the forest. It's tiny but she's sure of it, it's a fire.

She thinks about it for a few seconds before deciding to crouch down and scout it out. Worst case scenario, they're a threat and she can avoid it properly. Best case scenario, she can steal something useful.

She crouches down and approaches slowly. It looks like a camp with a fire in the middle, wood on the side and a log, probably to use as a chair, on the other side. There's a humanoid form lying by the fire, snoring. It seems asleep and alone, good. She looks around and grins widely when she spots a horse by the tree line. It's alone too so she assumes it's a lonely traveler.

After a few more minutes of observation, she decides it's time and runs stealthily towards the horse. She's usually pretty good at it but her head is fuzzy from the blood loss, and she snaps a twig. Cursing at herself, she looks to the mass by the fire.

It's still snoring. She releases a breath and continues towards the horse, slower than before. She reaches it and pats it on the nose, whispering : "Hey there cutie, want to take me to Arborlon ?"

The horse seemingly nods and she gets up on it, clenching her teeth the whole time. She decides to use the light from the fire to check on her cut, so she turns the horse around and lifts her shirt. The makeshift bandage is soaked, blood is even dripping from it.

It looks bad but she doesn't have time to do anything, Amberle might be hurt or in danger or she might need Eretria's help. So the rover takes a deep breath and shouts "Come on !" while spurring the horse towards Arborlon. Even in darkness, she remembers the way.

The shout had the effect she wanted and as they disappeared into the forest, she could hear a male voice calling to her.

"Hey ! Come back ! I need that horse !"

She shrugs, an amused smirk on her features. That was always her favorite part as a rover, her victims' reactions. She didn't exactly enjoy robbing innocents, although one of Cephelos' first lesson was that nobody's innocent and she really believes it, but thieving gave her a sense of power she lacked in the rest of her life. She was a slave, she had no choice whatsoever. But when she successfully robbed someone, she felt power over someone else's life, she left a mark on their history and she'd be remembered by this person. Their reaction, sometimes funny, symbolized that impact. It wasn't much but it was one of the few satisfactions from her past, and she knew it would stay.

Once she can't see the fire anymore, she slows down a bit and decides to go through the bag fastened to the saddle. There's not much in it : a few bandages, jars of weird colored goo, a basic medicine book, a pouch of water and dried fruit. Well not for long because Eretria ate the fruit and downed the water, being parched from her run.

She closes the bag and is about to resume her journey when she hears a familiar clinking sound from the bag. She stops the horse abruptly, earning herself an irritated neigh. She apologizes quickly while rummaging through the bag once more.

"Sorry, I just… I know that sound, but it's impossible." She says out loud, brows furrowed in confusion.

She finally finds what she's looking for. Will's Elf stones poacher. She opens it and sure enough, the three bright blue stones are there. She turns the horse around and rushes to the camp site. Her mind is racing, what happened to Will ? To Amberle ? Did they make it on time ?

She's imagining creative ways to make the man talk as she arrives at her destination. She has a blade now after all.

The man is sitting on the log, his face in his hands, looking defeated.

Her body is running on enraged adrenaline as she reaches him and she doesn't feel the pain from jumping off the horse. She doesn't feel the pain from her angry stomping either.

She finally faces him, and just as she's about to kick him off the log, he looks up.

"Will ?" She asks, switching from raging to confused.

"Eretria !" The half-elf blond shouts while getting up and hugs her tightly.

"Ow… Ow, get off Will ! What the hell are you doing here ?" She inquires while pushing him off her. "Where's Amberle ?!" She suddenly panics at his pained look.

"Sit, Eretria, we need to talk" He points towards the log and she sits on it, genuinely scared of her princess's fate.

* * *

 **A/N :** I'm not that happy with this chapter, so I might rewrite it if I have time, but I'm not sure.

Also, is it weird that the horse kinda understands Eretria and the other way around ? I liked their connection but I'll cut it out in the future if it's too much, so let me know.

Next chapter : The real enemy is introduced.


	4. Chapter 4 : Faithful

**A/N :** Tw for violence

* * *

 _Eretria. Eretria. Eretria…_

Amberle opens her eyes and instinctively grabs her chest. There's no more pain. What happened ?

She blinks a couple of times and tries to remember. The only thing that comes back is that flaming pain in her heart. That's it.

But she knows she's Amberle. And she knows she needs to protect the Ellcrys at all cost.

She gets up to see where she is. It's very dark, the room is only lit by torches. The walls, ceiling and floor are made of stone… A cave, she realizes. There's a couple of openings in front of her and she's pondering which one to take when she hears terrified shouts coming from the tunnel on her right.

She hesitates but finally decides to follow the screams to see what was going on. The Ellcrys must have a reason for throwing her here and it's her duty to obey it. After a few turns, the narrow passage opens to a large space where a few people from the different races are gathered. They're looking at a handsome young elf. He has jet black hair and green eyes. He looks slightly older than her, but it may be the stubble on his chin.

She enters the space and hides in the shadows on the far end of the room. Her blood runs cold at the sight of two lifeless bodies at his feet, covered in blood. She refocuses her attention on the living, sensing this is going to be important. Nobody seems to notice her but she stays hidden, in case.

"The traitors are dead, let's carry on." The handsome elf orders the others around him. They all gather around a wooden table with papers and parchments on it. All of them except a hooded figure who stays back. This figure unnerves her but she can't risk investigating it further, not now anyway.

"The Rover will be going out from that gate. We need to grab her here" another, older male elf in military gear points to a piece of paper on the table. "It's the only passage we're sure she'll take. Who knows where she'll be headed. Then we get information from her, take the Elvin castle and force her to complete the prophecy."

"But what if she doesn't leave Arborlon?" A young blonde, human asks angrily. She's wearing rover gear and, like Eretria, seems to enjoy blades.

Like _Eretria ?!_ How does Amberle know that this person enjoys blades. Why did that thought pop up in her mind ? She frowns in frustration, she really wants an answer. She breathes deeply and decides to trust the Ellcrys.

"She will, Dara, when she sees what happened to the princess, she won't have any reason to stay if she doesn't fulfill the prophecy." The handsome elf, who Amberle assumes is their leader, answers confidently.

"And when she completes the prophecy, which, if my spies are right, should be any time now, we storm the castle in four nights and finish the Ellcrys ourselves. It'll be tied to the Princess, and vulnerable. The Druid saw it." A scrawny looking human, probably around 40, adds excitedly. He wears glasses and has greasy hair. His appearance makes Amberle a bit uncomfortable.

Dara scoffs "Yeah, look I'm going to need a bit more than magic and fairies before attempting a suicide mission against Arborlon." She turns towards the young elf and simply adds. "We're out Saron."

Their leader, Saron, visibly darkens at that "You think you have a choice ?" He threatens her.

She frowns and reaches for her blade at her belt but suddenly grabs her throat and sinks to her knees. Saron smirks while watching her grasp for air against her own hands.

Amberle's eyes go wide at that, what's happening ?

She understands when she notices the hooded figure has approached and is holding out his hand towards Dara. He must be the so-called Druid.

He releases her and whispers something into Saron's ear while Dara is panting on the ground, finally breathing again.

The elf's smile dies as he frowns. "It seems we're not alone." Amberle makes herself as small as possible in the torches' shadows, guessing they're talking about her. "You're dismissed. We'll continue this meeting tomorrow." At that everyone visibly relaxes and leaves the room. Dara is being half-dragged by another human.

As soon as they've all left except Saron and the hooded figure, Amberle gets up and start walking towards them. She wants to confront them and demand answers, unafraid since the Ellcrys is backing her, well that's what she thinks anyway.

She's at their level now, practically face to face with them, but they seemingly can't see her. She sighs, this is a vision. They're whispering, but Amberle can make a few words out.

"Prophecy… Love… Princess… Eretria".

 _Eretria…_

That name again. Why does it feel so important ? She's racking her brain for any clue at what it means when her vision blurs and her head starts pounding. She kneels on the ground and shuts her eyes to try and relieve the pressure in her skull.

Suddenly the pain is gone and the musty air has changed. She knows that flowery and fresh smell, so she opens her eyes, a familiar sight greeting her. The Ellcrys.

She realizes she's in the Sanctuary and a smile appears on her face, relief washing over her. She can't remember why but this place makes her feel warm and peaceful. But that tranquility disappears as the doors open abruptly, startling her.

A human brunette storms in, daggers in both hands, looking pretty angry. Her right cheek is cut all the way to her neck and profusely bleeding. She also looks beat up, with bruises appearing here and there and patches of blood seeping through her clothes. She's wearing skinny grey pants, boots and a navy low neck cotton shirt with long sleeves, well one long sleeve, the other has clearly been ripped off. For some reason, Amberle's heart starts beating faster. It's actually the first time she hears it beating since waking up in that cave.

The human's looking for something and Amberle can't help her blush or the insecurity flooding her when the girl locks eyes with her for a brief second, before scanning the rest of the room. Amberle feels a bit disappointed at the fact that she can't see her, it's only a vision. But why does she feel so _alive_ under that stranger's gaze ? And why does she feel so familiar ?

"Eretria wait !" A young blonde elf, well half judging by his ears' length, yelled while rushing through the doors. His hair is tied in a low ponytail and his blue shirt is torn, but he doesn't seem injured, or armed.

At his words, Amberle falters. _Eretria_ … _She's Eretria._ Her eyes go wide with realization, and she looks at the rover girl with new understanding.

"I need to protect her from those fanatics." Eretria forcefully tells the half-elf while turning around to face the doors, daggers ready.

Amberle remembers her. She remembers loving her.

Her heart starts burning again, and her memories start coming back. She looks at Will as the pain is growing. She recognizes him and recalls their adventures together, her fondness of him.

Alanon chose this moment to run in, bloody sword in hand and she can't help but scream at the flaming pain in her chest, as she locks eyes with him and she's flooded by another wave of memories.

All this information makes her head spin and she falls to the ground, grabbing her chest and putting her head between her knees.

But soon enough it's over. She can hear them talking and shouting as she's panting on the ground, trying to calm her breath. She remembers her life now, her parents, her friends, Eretria. She remembers everything she lost for the Ellcrys, for the quest she never wanted. Her blood starts boiling as rage floods her.

"Why me ?!" She yells towards the Tree. "What did I do to deserve this ?!" Angry tears are blurring her vision now.

She gets up, feeling restless and finally notices the battle happening around her. Will is behind Alanon, looking terrified with a sword in hand. The Druid is fighting a Troll and a gnome, both wearing a piece of white cloth with a red burning tree on their chest, over their armor.

Eretria is fighting Saron, one on one. He's wielding a massive two-handed sword.

Amberle wishes she could help, but she's only a vision, so she stands by and watches, scared for her Rover.

"Ah the famous rover girl. Thank you for leading me to the Tree. Now complete the prophecy and maybe I won't kill you." Saron negotiates while advancing towards Eretria.

Eretria's eyes go wide for a brief second before her face turns into a smirk. Amberle knows the rover is startled, although Eretria is quick to recover, she's seen it a few times.

"I think you're mistaken me for half-breed over there." She points towards Will before adding, a defying grin on her lips. "The only thing I can help you with is dying."

He looks at her darkly. "No you're the one I'm looking for, but don't worry, your corpse will do." At that he lunges at her, sword raised.

For a few minutes, Saron seems to have the upper hand. He pushes Eretria against the wall and effectively traps her. They exchange blow after blow, Eretria parrying each one of his attacks with her two daggers. But the force the elf inflicts on her wrists soon breaks one of them and Eretria cries out from the pain of her fractured bone. She lets her dagger fall to the ground and looks up, scared, into Saron's eyes.

Amberle wants to shut her eyes, to block out the death of the girl she never knew she could love, but she can't. She can't because she needs to be brave, she needs to look one last time in her eyes. This is a vision and maybe, with the help of the Ellcrys, she'll manage to change it. Just like when she saw Arborlon in ruins with so much death. She changed that future, why not this one ?

Saron smirks cruelly at Eretria and aims his sword at her stomach for the final blow. He moves his sword back and the exact moment he motions forward, Eretria smiles and in an instant slides on her knees past him, ducking under his extended arm and slashing his back as she gets up again. He yells from the pain and turns around just as she plunges her dagger in his stomach.

He looks disbelievingly at his stomach and lets his sword fall at his side in a loud thump. Eretria takes her dagger out from him and he slumps down on his knees, his terrified eyes looking up at her. She makes a show of wiping each side of the blade on his shoulder, a triumphant smile on her lips, before rushing to the Ellcrys.

"Alanon, what if I try again ? Maybe she'll come out now ?" She asks the battling Druid, a glint of hope in her voice.

"She doesn't want to come back, Eretria. It's the only explanation." He decks the troll in the jaw, barely making it take a step back but it's enough to parry the gnome's dagger with his sword. "And no one can force her to, I'm sorry." Will is still cowering behind him so he looks pleadingly at Eretria. "I could use a hand here." He adds while ducking under the troll's punch, and pushing back the gnome's attacks.

Eretria looks between the Ellcrys and Allanon. She takes a few seconds before looking in the Druid's eyes, her own filled with regret.

"I'm sorry, I need to try."

Alanon looks at her sadly but nods before slashing at his opponents with renewed energy.

Eretria crouches down beside the Ellcrys and slowly raises her hand to place it on the trunk of the Tree. As she touches it, Amberle can feel warmth washing over her. She approaches Eretria and tries to put her hand on her shoulder but it passes right through. She sighs sadly and crouches down beside the rover to look into her eyes.

Eretria looks peaceful at first, but soon she frowns and angry tears start spilling down her cheeks.

"Why won't you come back Amberle ? I know you can, I feel it when I touch the Tree. We tried Will too but he doesn't feel anything. When I touch…"She pauses there, frowning. "…You, I feel warm and connected." She sighs, her anger dissipating it seems.

"There's a prophecy, you know. Alanon explained it to Will and I listened in, so I didn't get everything, but basically you can get out of the Tree. There's a way. Please find it, these maniacs want to kill you. I don't know how but maybe they found a way." She sniffs before adding, a wet smirk on her face. "And if that wasn't motivation enough, that means the Demons will be released and I'll die. You can't let that happen, now can you ?"

Amberle smiles sadly at her, her own eyes filled with tears at the sight of her broken rover. She wishes she could touch the girl's cheek, wipe away the tears and blood and just hold her.

"I don't know if you hear me but if you do, Amberle please come back. The Four Lands need you, Will needs you… _I_ need you." She finishes in a small voice, looking up pleadingly at the Ellcrys's peak.

Amberle looks at her intensely, trying to memorize every feature of her face. She doesn't know what awaits her or Eretria, but she knows she'll do anything to get back to her. She talked about a prophecy, like the cult in the cave. Maybe the Ellcrys will tell her more about it. After all, it's because of it she's in these visions.

She's torn out of those thoughts by Saron getting up behind Eretria, clutching his bleeding side. He has the other one of her daggers in his other hand and he's slowly limping towards her. Eretria is oblivious to his approach, still fixing the peak of the Ellcrys, tears in her eyes.

Amberle shots up, and yells.

"Eretria ! Behind you !"

But the Rover can't hear her, she's not really there. Eretria's mind is clearly focused on the Ellcrys, like she's trying to wish Amberle out of its trunk. Of course it doesn't work and to Amberle's horror, Saron grabs her by the hair and drags her up, tearing a scream from Eretria. It doesn't last long since he immediately presses the dagger to her still bleeding throat and slices it open. She instinctively puts her hands to her throat as she starts bleeding out, her eyes wide in shock.

Saron lets her fall and is about to turn around when he's impaled by Alanon's sword. The beat up druid managed to kill his opponents without help but wasn't quick enough to save Eretria. Guilt and anger are written all over his face as he sticks his sword further into Saron's chest.

Meanwhile, Will tries to stop Eretria's throat from bleeding by applying pressure on it and Amberle kneels on the other side beside her, sobbing and trying desperately to hold her hand. But soon Eretria's gurgling breath stops and her eyes become lifeless.

Will tries desperately to revive her, pressing on her chest to get her heart beating again but it's too late.

"She's gone, Will." Alanon calmly states but his eyes are pained like Amberle has never seen before. "We need to burn her body. Her blood can still be used for dark magic."

Amberle's eyes shot up at that. _Burning_ her body ? Nothing will be left of her. Will seems to have the same opinion, judging by his deep frown. He's about to answer when Amberle's head starts pounding and the familiar blur sets in. She closes her eyes as her world starts spinning.

It's quiet here. No more shouts, no more smell of iron, no more death. Her nostrils are filled with the sweet, wooden, familiar scent of the Ellcrys.

She opens her aching eyes. They must be swollen and red from all her crying. She's inside the Tree, in this space where she received the Seed.

She breathes in the calming scent, reminding her of her walks in the forest with her father.

"You were the only one who would've come back, Amberle. Your duty and sense of honor had no match. Your soul and heart are pure. Since you were born, we knew you were the Seed who would save us." An eerie female answers her earlier question. She recognizes it.

"You're the voice of the Ellcrys, aren't you ?" She asks calmly while getting up. She needs answers so she won't let her anger get the better of her.

"I am and you have questions. We have time for one." The Ellcrys replies.

Amberle frowns. They have literally all the time in the world. She sighs and asks the most pressing one.

"How do I get back to Eretria ?"

"You have to kill me." This time the voice didn't echo in the space as usual but came from right behind her. She turned abruptly around and came face to face with herself. An angry, armored wearing, sword wielding self, but that was unmistakably her face.

"That trick again, don't you have a face ?" Amberle asks her doppelganger while bending down to retrieve the sword that magically appeared at her feet.

"No, I'm a spirit, magically created." She answers matter-of-factly.

The two starts circling each other, testing their blades by clashing from time to time. They keep at it for a while before the Ellcrys starts actively attacking Amberle. She parries each blow, one after the other, while searching for an opening to make a move of her own. She takes a step back, forcing her counterpart to extend her arm longer than she should have, losing strength in it. Amberle parries and drives the Ellcrys's arm up with her blade, leaving her chest unprotected. The Princess punches her ribs with her left hand, forcing her doppelganger to bend and awkwardly defend herself from Amberle's quick attacks. She learned that move from Eretria.

But Amberle can't keep the advantage for long, as her mirror image grows aggressive again and manages to slash her right thigh. The cut is deep and the sudden pain makes her falter for a split second. Her counterpart uses it to keep attacking her right side, putting pressure on Amberle's leg and making her defense weaker.

But Amberle isn't defeated yet and after a successful side blow to the Ellcrys's right shoulder, her doppelganger drops her sword and Amberle uses the opportunity to hit her hard on her temple with the pommel of her own blade, before she has a chance of doing anything else.

Amberle stares down at her own inanimate face on the ground. She's still breathing. The Princess sighs, feeling lost. She could kill her right there and go back to Eretria, but something is nagging at her. If she kills her doppelganger, will the Ellcrys die ? She wasn't sure, but could she take that risk ?

No, of course not. If there is even the smallest chance she would unleash a demon army on the Four Lands, resulting on thousands of innocents killed, she can't do it.

But then she remembers her vision and Eretria dying. Dying trying to protect her. Trying to give her her life back. She has a chance to save her.

She feels conflicted, torn between the fate of the world and what her heart actually wants.

She's looking at the unconscious girl who looks like her without being her on the ground, and wonders who were the Seeds before her. Did they lose their loved ones too ? Did Darren have that choice too?

She remembers Eretria dying before her eyes, choking on her own blood. She doesn't deserve that. They don't deserve that.

She finds herself contemplating the idea of being selfish for once. It would be so easy, just plunging her sword into the body lying at her feet. Haven't they sacrificed enough ?

With an angry determination, she lifts her sword over the woman's beating heart, ready to make the final blow. And she tries to plunge it in her chest, but her arms won't do it. They don't move, and she realizes it's because she can't do it. She can't be responsible for innocent deaths when she can do something about it.

She lets the sword fall to the ground, beside the brunette who abruptly wakes up. Amberle doesn't even blink, resigned tears filling her eyes as she accepts the fact that the only person she ever loved will die, without even knowing that she was loved by someone.

But it seems the Ellcrys has other plans. Amberle is torn out of her dark thoughts by a sharp pain in her chest. This time, though, it's not burning, it's actual pain. She looks down and sees a blade sticking out of her heart. Her head is quickly spinning and she falls on her back, looking up into her own eyes. Her own face is happily smiling at her as her world fades to black.

Bright light. That's all she's seeing. Blinding white light. She's feeling herself walking towards it, and tries to stop it. She heard the stories about a white light at the end of a tunnel bringing you peace. She loved hearing those stories as a child, about what happens after you die. It's probably due to the loss of her mother. In those stories, there was always a bright light to follow.

But she doesn't want to die. She doesn't want to go to a better place. She can still help her friends and family from the Ellcrys, she can learn to communicate with them. With Eretria.

As she's walking, she can still feel the ache from her thigh, but she can't stop her feet. The light is actually painful now and she feels herself weakening with each step. As the light becomes too bright she closes her eyes. The air suddenly changes, becoming fresher, with a hint of lavender.

Her steps falter and she trips. She keeps her eyes closed as she falls, the sadness and pain too much for her. She just wants to curl up and sleep, not caring for an afterlife when she didn't get an actual life to begin with.

"Amberle !"

* * *

 **A/N :** Hey ! So I managed to be late on my lateness, so sorry. I won't make any more promises anymore, you'll get chapter 5 when its ready :)

Hope you liked that chapter, please review !

Next one : Eretria and Will on a road trip (it's not as fun as it sounds ^^)


	5. Chapter 5 : Journey

**TW :** Violence, mentions of suicidal thoughts ( not sure but just to be safe) and language as usual

* * *

"Eretria say something, please."

She's speechless. For the first time in her life she doesn't know what to say.

Will spent the last ten minutes explaining the events after Safehold. He told her how he wanted to come back but Amberle convinced him to go. He basically blamed her for leaving Eretria behind, which annoyed the Rover. She's the one who told them to go, Amberle just did what was necessary. They both knew this was their only chance at saving the Four Lands.

Then he rushed over the fact they waited together in a cave for nightfall. Eretria isn't stupid and she knows something went down between them. She feels hurt and angry and even a bit jealous. She knows she doesn't have any right to be, Amberle and Will are clearly together, but picturing Amberle with him felt wrong, really wrong.

She couldn't help but wonder why she would sleep with him, so she half-heard how they got to the Sanctuary and how he battled the Dagda Mor with the Elfstones.

She snapped back to attention at the mention of Amberle and how she became the Ellcrys.

She's not here anymore. The Princess is gone and nobody could save her. Eretria will never see her again. That thought consumes her and fills her with pure sadness. She never felt that way before.

Will finishes his story by telling her he intends to become a healer, leaving this life behind. He's looking at her, expecting an answer. But she can't form a coherent sentence in her mind, she's lost. What is she supposed to do now ? Forget about everything that happened and run away ?

Seems like a good plan.

But she needs to say goodbye to Amberle first. She can't leave without seeing what she's become and maybe try to find a solution.

Will is still looking at her, concerned, or maybe scared. He's dreading Eretria's response.

Why ? He's the one who couldn't save Amberle and lost his lover. Eretria was just a friend, a sidekick, a third wheel. Why would he care about what she thinks ?

Because the most important person in her life just became a Tree. Amberle deserved better. She deserved someone who would at least try to find another way. Or try to free her now. She deserved someone who wouldn't just leave to go rescue another girl as soon she wasn't there anymore then move on with his life, forgetting her.

Eretria is about to snap at Will when she starts to feel very weak. Her heart beats slower and soon enough the world spins around her as she crashes face first on the ground, struggling to breathe through the pain in her stomach.

Ah yes, the gaping wound on her stomach. She forgot about that.

"Eretria !" Will yells, panic clear in his voice.

He kneels beside her and turns her around, causing her to scream in pain through the movement.

"My… sto…mach" She manages to breath out, right before losing consciousness.

Eretria wakes up to a delicious smell and the sound of chirping birds, a sound she hates. She envies their liberty, and waking up to them seems like a cruel reminder of the fact that the only decision she made for herself in many years has been dying at the hands of Trolls to save her friends. But even that choice hasn't been respected and she was kidnapped instead.

The sun is bright but not at its highest yet so it must be mid-morning. Her frantic race from last night is over, now that she knows what happened.

There's no more rush, Amberle isn't going anywhere.

She sits up, surprised that her stomach is only a little painful. Her jacket is neatly folded where her head used to be, so she's only in her navy cotton long-sleeved shirt. Well one-sleeved shirt would be more accurate. She lifts it up and smiles as the cut across her stomach is clean and a real bandage is wrapping her middle tightly, which explains the lack of pain.

"It will scar. I'm sorry but I had to cauterize it, you were losing too much blood. Then I cleaned it and wrapped it up. I also gave you some medicine to fight the infection. The cut looks much better this morning." He finished with a smile before adding. "How are you feeling ?"

"Better" she answered with a smile. "So I smelled food, was that you ?"

He nods and hands her some kind of vegetable stew. She wolfs it down, partly because she's hungry as hell but also because it's delicious. She also doesn't know what to tell him.

Once she's done, she hands him the wooden bowl back.

"Thanks, Will. For everything." She gets up and gathers her jacket. "But I have to go to Arborlon, and I need you to come with me."

He frowns at that. "Why do you want to go ?"

She sighs, of course he wouldn't get it. She doesn't hate him but she doesn't like him either. He played with her and Amberle, intentionally or not and his vision of the world is just too black and white for her. It doesn't work that way.

But she also knows that he's a good guy and he will regret not trying to get Amberle out of the Ellcrys. So she's going to play on his Good Samaritan character and get him there.

"I need to say goodbye. I'm weak right now and I'm not sure I'll get there in one piece. I would also enjoy the company." She says in a small voice.

He smiles, loving to be needed. "Of course, let's go. I'll get you there and leave for Storlock."

She smirks, that was easy. She does need his horse though and she'd rather not resort to knocking him out.

They pack up the camp and Eretria pats the horse's nose. In daylight, she can confirm it's a beautiful creature, with a caramel coat and a fair mane. Its chocolaty eyes are very expressive and Eretria feels like she understands it. She's also sure it's a girl.

"What's her name ?" She asks Will while assessing the horse's physical condition, and confirming her gender.

"Uhhh… I don't know. I got her from Arborlon's stables" He says distractedly while packing her up.

Eretria hisses under her breath and whispers into the mare's ear "Don't mind him, he's an idiot." She vigorously nods her head and Eretria laughs.

"What about Zora ? Do you like it ?" She asks with a sad smile. The mare nods solemnly it seems and starts eating grass again.

"Okay, let's go." She tells no one in particular and eases herself gently on the horse, finally being careful with her wound. She holds out her hand to help Will up.

"Are you sure you should be in front ?" He asks, frowning with concern.

Eretria smiles cheekily. "Sure, like that if I pass out, you can catch me."

He's half-convinced but takes Eretria's arm anyway and lifts himself up, not noticing the Rover wincing.

They set off at a gallop towards Arborlon, Zora being way too restless to take it slow. They're not far from the Elvin city so they should make it by nightfall. They ride in silence, too engrossed in their thoughts to have a discussion.

Eretria suspected some self-sacrificing was inevitable. It's what happens in the stories, the more you save, the more you lose. But she wished reality would be different. Turns out its worse.

She'll never admit it, but she loves epic tales of saving the world. The hero dies but his loved-ones find a way to get him back and he lives happily ever after with his true love. But Will couldn't save Amberle, and now she's condemned to be the Ellcrys. She can't really blame Will, Amberle would have saved the Four Lands no matter what anyone would have said. And Eretria's planning to run off too once she says goodbye.

But she isn't Amberle's true love, so why does she feel guilty for leaving her ?

And is Amberle even still here ? Can she see and hear them ?

"What happens now ?" She blurts out, startling Will behind her. "For Amberle ?" She adds sadly.

She can feel Will shift uncomfortably behind her. "I don't know. Alanon said she would talk to us when she was ready."

Eretria is a bit confused by the answer but if Amberle can communicate, there may be hope.

They finally reach the tree line and leave the forest for a dirt road. Eretria is a bit uneasy at the lack of sound and slows Zora down. She knows an Elvin village is nearby and this road leads to Arborlon, there should be at least a few people.

"Did you use this road yesterday ?" She asks an oblivious Will.

"Yes. Why ?"

"Were there people around ?" She inquires further while searching for any sign of life.

"Yes, a couple of caravans and farmers in that field on the right." He points.

She nods and motions Zora towards the field. Rover rule n°1 : figure out what is going on so you can use it to your advantage. In this case it's about danger.

"What are you doing ?" Will asks from behind her.

She's about to reply when a man screams from across the field. Instinctively she turns Zora around but Will stops her by putting his hands over hers.

"Please, let's just check it out. See what it is and then make a decision." He insists.

She sighs. "Fine, but we are not getting off that horse until I say so. Clear ?"

He nods enthusiastically and she sets them towards the screaming. It doesn't take long before they see a group of farmers kneeling, their hands over their heads, and five men pointing daggers at them.

Eretria spots a boulder and rides behind it.

"They won't be a problem. Let's go back." She states.

"Wait we can't just leave them here. They're going to get slaughtered by those rovers." He tries to convince her.

"Not my problem." She shrugs and moves Zora back towards the road. But then she sees them. A couple of kneeling kids, seemingly alone. They look terrified and Eretria's heart breaks. They have that look. The "orphan" look.

She sighs and mumbles. "Why does it have to be kids ?"

She jumps off Zora and takes cover behind the boulder. Will follows closely. Her mind is racing for a plan.

"Change of heart ?" he smiles warmly and she rolls her eyes.

"Something like that. Now listen to me." She explains what she came up with and after a bit of convincing they set in motion.

Eretria goes around the rovers and takes cover a bit beyond the tree line, while Will gallops towards them at full speed.

"Hey ! Over here cowards ! Let them go !" He yells while passing them.

Eretria breathes again when a couple of them mount their horses and start chasing him. She approaches the one closest to her, crouched down and tip toeing. The rovers are looking towards where Will went so they're not paying attention to the prisoners. When the farmers see her she quickly puts her finger to her lips, willing them to keep their mouths shut. Some nod and the rest seem to understand so she resumes her approach on the unsuspecting rover.

Her stomach is pulling at her but she manages to slice his throat without being heard. She motions for the farmers to move silently into the tree line. They do as such, all of them muttering "thank you" and nodding gratefully towards her. Eretria is a bit shocked, not used to people being nice and thanking her.

She smiles to the couple of orphaned kids as they pass, but suddenly they look terrified and Eretria literally flies on her left before crashing down. That'll teach her to lose her focus.

She quickly gets up but can't parry a punch from a mean looking rover. She bends over and discretely picks her dagger up. He smirks but doesn't have time to tell his horrible joke as she straightens up and sticks her bloody blade in his stomach. His eyes are wide with shock as his life ends.

She smirks making sure he's dead before turning her attention to the third rover. She doesn't search for long as a little girl's screaming echoes through the trees. She runs towards it and spots a young rover dragging the orphaned girl and carrying her unconscious brother on his shoulder.

She would've had laughed at his stupidity, not properly assessing the threat AND failing to have a safe retreat plan, if he wasn't hurting a child in the process.

She crouches down and in one swift move, throws her dagger towards his head. It lodges itself in his skull as planned and he falls on the forest ground.

She runs towards the kids.

"Hey, you okay ?" She asks the girl while checking for the boy's pulse.

She nods, tears still spilling down her cheeks. "My brother ?"

Eretria smiles when she finds a steady pulse. "He's breathing. He'll be fine. What's your name ? And do you have parents, or someone to lookout for you ?"

The girl nods again. "Yes, our granny. She's home, in the village. We were helping our neighbor with the harvest when the bad men arrived." She sniffs." My name is Kayla and this is my brother Graig."

The Rover wipes the tears off the girl's cheeks. "Okay Kayla. You're very brave. I'm Eretria and I have to go help my friend, he's probably in trouble. Could you stay here and keep an eye on Graig ?"

Kayla nods once more. "Will you come back ?" She asks in a small voice.

Eretria smiles affectionately. "Of course, kid. I won't be long."

She gets up, takes her blade out of the rover's skull and his dagger before running back on the field. She follows the hoofs traces in the mud until she sees something being dragged by a horse.

Will… She spots Zora on the right and runs towards her, jumping on her while running. She rushes the mare towards a screaming Will and aims the rover's dagger to the back of the man dragging him. She hits her target and he falls over, being dragged and trampled on before crashing on the ground, dead.

His horse stops and Will gets up, starting to untie his legs. Eretria smiles and looks for the last one of those rovers. She hears a horse galloping behind and turns around. She comes face to face with a wooden spear but ducks right on time.

The rover abruptly turns around and starts again towards her at full speed. This time she's ready and as he approaches, she crouches on the saddle, blade between her teeth and jumps on the man.

They both tumble on the ground. Her body is aching from the fall but she quickly gets up. Not in time though as an enraged, grey haired rover punches her in the nose. That hurt really bad, but her nose isn't broken.

"You killed him!" he yells while punching her in the jaw. "You fucking bitch !" He punches her again on her cheekbone.

"Not my fault the five of you were failures. This was way too easy" She smirks, showing off her bloody teeth. He looks confused but he's about to punch her again when she impales his hand with his own dagger. She grabbed it while falling off his horse, he didn't even notice.

The man screams in pain, but she takes the dagger out before plunging it in his throat, making sure he won't live another day.

She usually didn't like killing people but they deserved it.

"Eretria ! Are you okay ?" Will finally showed up on top of Zora.

"Great." She mumbles.

"Now get off and wait for me in the village. It's over the farm at the end of the field. Can't miss it."

He's about to argue but she glares at him dangerously. He gulps and does as he's told. Eretria gets her dagger from the mud and mounts Zora. She rushes her towards Kayla and Graig.

The boy is awake when she arrives.

"Hey !" She calls a few feet from them. She nearly smiled but judging by the iron taste in her mouth, her smile would be terrifying, not reassuring.

Kayla smiles excitedly and half drags her brother towards the horse. "You came back !" She happily smiles towards the Rover.

"Told you so" Eretria answers while lifting her up in front of her. "You must be Graig." She tells the boy while holding her arm out.

He eyes her suspiciously so she smiles without opening her mouth. "I'm Eretria, I'm taking both of you back to your Granny".

After a few seconds, he nods and takes her arm to get behind her. They ride in silence the short journey to the town. Eretria spots immediately their Granny as she's the old woman shouting towards the farmers Eretria saved earlier.

"And you left them there ?! They're kids and you left them in the woods ?" She yells disbelievingly.

"They were taken by a rover, what were we supposed to do ?" One of the men answers her. He looks terrified by the old woman.

"Fight." Eretria can't help but answer as she lowers Kayla to the ground before jumping off herself. Graig got down on his own.

The villagers are silent as the siblings run to their Granny's arms. "You're back ! And you're safe !" She sobs while hugging them.

"That human saved us." Graig points towards Eretria as his Granny releases him.

"My name is Feyra, thank you for saving my babies." The old woman holds out her hand for Eretria to take. She takes her forearm and they shake. The rover spits the excess blood in her mouth before smiling, hoping her teeth aren't too red.

Feyra smiles back and pulls her into a bear hug. "Thank you so much" she cries in her shoulder.

At first Eretria feels very uncomfortable, she doesn't hug people. She either sleeps with or kills them. But Will steps in her line of vision and smiles reassuringly, so she tries to relax and hugs the older woman back.

And that does something to her. The Rover starts crying too, feeling overwhelmed. The connection she felt with Amberle in that gymnasium, seeing Zora again, Utopia, dying, getting Amberle back, sacrificing herself, Baz, learning the truth about her past, the literal pain and Amberle's fate. And now she saved people, and she finally realizes the pain she caused so many people because she was one of those men, only three weeks ago. It was all too much so she cried in that woman's arms, feeling warm and safe. And known, somehow.

They stay that way for a while, Eretria finding a moment of peace in this embrace. But they come back to reality and Feyra wipes away Eretria's tears, the way the Rover did for her granddaughter a while ago.

"We've got to go." Eretria interrupts the moment, desperately needing to put her walls back up. She walks over to Zora and jumps on her, Will following without a word behind.

She turns the horse around and looks intently at the old woman, holding her grandkids close.

"Thank you." Eretria says.

"No, thank you, Eretria." Feyra answers, a genuine smile on her lips.

Eretria frowns, how did she know her name ?

But she shakes her head and waves goodbye to the kids before sending Zora at a full gallop past the farm, across the field and back on Arborlon's road.

Night is falling as they approach the Elvin city.

"We're nearly there." Eretria announces to break the silence. They haven't said a word since they left the Elvin village.

"Eretria, what happened in Safehold ? How did you get that cut on your stomach and those bruises on your face ? " Will asks her abruptly. He must've thought her breakdown with Feyra was about that.

"Nothing, Will. I'm fine." She answers sharply.

"I don't believe you." He replies.

"I don't care." She sighs.

He stays silent a few moments. " You miss her don't you?"

Eretria ignores him. Maybe he'll stop.

"You miss Amberle." He pauses. "I do too, Eretria. But you need to talk about it."

She whirls around and pushes him off Zora, before jumping down herself and standing menacingly over him.

"Okay ! Yes I do. I miss her. Now what ?"

He doesn't move from the ground and just stares, shocked, at her.

"You want me to talk about it ? What for ?!" He still doesn't answer and she loses patience.

"Come on Will, what do you want me to say ?!" She yells at him.

She turns around and takes a deep breath. "I was supposed to be dead now. I knew she would need to sacrifice something, maybe her life, to save everyone else. And I didn't want to see that. I couldn't…" She doesn't finish her sentence as tears start streaming down her face.

"I wanted to die." She sniffs and continues. "I didn't want to live without her around. I know we didn't like each other at first, but, with time…"

"She grew on you" Will finally found his feet and moved in front of her.

She nods "I miss her okay ? And now I'll never see her again. I don't know what to do with my life. I'm finally free, but without her, I don't know what to do with it. She made me so much better."

"Hey. That's not true, you were amazing before. And you could come to Storlock with me." He offers hopefully.

She frowns, that was a lie. She was an amazing fighter and thief, but she was selfish and cynical. With Amberle around, she became concerned with people's lives and she felt useful. She had a purpose and that made her happy. Now that was over.

"And what would I do in Storlock, Will ?" She asks, her tears completely gone.

"We'll find you something." He answers playfully while moving in to kiss her.

She dodges him and gets back on Zora. After everything, she's pretty sure the only person she'd want to kiss ever again is Amberle, but that's not going to happen.

"Come on let's go." She says forcefully.

He sheepishly mounts behind her and they're back on the road towards the gates.

They arrive soon enough and dismount to finish by foot. It's dark in the forest and they don't have a light, so they move carefully to avoid roots on the ground. But it seems their slow pace was too discreet and as they get out of the tree line in front of the gate, Eretria hears a faint whizzing sound and body checks Will while getting out her dagger.

Everything was over in a moment. Eretria took the arrow in her shoulder and instinctively threw her dagger in its direction. Will got up and started looking at her shoulder when guards came out the heavy metal gate, weapons out and circled them.

One of them, with a golden embroidered cape stepped forward.

"You are under arrest for the murder of a Town Guard. You'll await trial in the Dungeons."

He turned towards two of the Guards. "Take her away."

"Wait no, you're mistaken." Will tried protesting but it was in vain.

"She'll have a fair trial. It's already too much for rover scum. You'll make your case there. Now move along, half-breed." He glares at him but moves over to let them pass.

The two guards walked over and bound Eretria's hands behind her back. She gritted her teeth, not wanting to give them the satisfaction to see her pain. Then they dragged her across the sleeping City to the Castle's dungeons.

That's how she found herself sitting cross legged on the stone floor of another cell. She can't believe she's a prisoner. Again.

To be fair this wasn't her fault. The guy attacked first, she just defended herself. But here she was, awaiting a trial that would probably send her to her death. But she's okay with that.

She heard the Elves gave one last favor, so she'll ask to see the Ellcrys. She'll say goodbye to Amberle and end her meaningless life.

She laughs bitterly at her resignation. She used to be a fighter, a survivor. But that changed when she lost the one thing she didn't know she needed. Amberle.

Now there's just no point.

She's wondering how the Elves kill their prisoners, when movement and shouting can be heard across the cells. She stands up, breathing through the pain in her shoulder, where the arrow used to be. She snapped the feathery end and slid the shaft out right after she was thrown in her cell. It was excruciating and a scream or two tore out of her throat, but no one came to see what was going on. She pressed her jacket on the wound to control the bleeding ever since.

As she reaches the bars on her cell, a frowning Alanon appears in front of her, followed by Will and a sheepishly looking guard with keys. He opens the gate and practically runs away.

"What did you do to him ?" She half-jokes.

"This situation isn't funny Eretria, why did you kill that guard ?" He demands angrily.

She sighs. "He shot an arrow at us, so I reacted instinctively and sent a blade flying in his direction."

Alanon looks at her intently before relaxing a bit.

"Fine let's go." He starts towards the exit.

"That's it ? Not even a _you need to learn to better control yourself Eretria, this is unacceptable_ ?" She takes on a deep voice to imitate the Druid but it fails and she just sounds like she's choking.

Will laughs but stops when Alanon turns around, clearly not amused and glares at both of them before continuing his path.

Eretria chuckles before asking. "Where are we going anyway ? To my execution ? And what happened to Zora ?"

"What ? No. you've been pardoned by the King. Alanon made a case that the guard was at fault and it wouldn't look good if it was made public. And the horse is back in the stables" Will provides.

She nods. "So where to ?"

"The Sanctuary." Alanon answers dramatically as they arrive in front of the massive wooden doors. They passed through the Castle's corridors and through the forest without her putting two and two together. He pauses and turns around, observing intently Eretria.

Her playful mood has been replaced by dread. She's scared of what she'll see on the other side. She doesn't even know what the Ellcrys looks like. And what if Amberle answers her ? What if she doesn't ? Or can't ?

Her internal struggle is cut short by an angry king.

"Alanon ! A human can't enter the Sanctuary, except a Druid, you know this." He yells as he approaches the three of them, guards flanking him.

"The Rover girl is not just human, she's the Bloodfire. She has every right to be here." He replies forcefully. It was weird seeing Alanon defend Eretria, but she won't complain, he's great to have on your side.

"I won't let this Rover near my niece." He states, a crazy glare in his eyes.

"Ander, this Rover gave literally everything for your niece to be here. Let her pass." Alanon pleads.

"I said no ! Don't make me arrest her again." He threatens.

Alanon bows his head. "As you say your majesty." He turns to Will and Eretria. "Come on let's go to the hospital wing."

They walk back to the castle in silence, all of them brooding and thinking until they arrive at the hospital wing.

"Both of you stay here for the night. I'll get you in the early morning and we'll try again." Alanon orders before disappearing, anger still radiating from him.

They each sit down on a bed. The room is white everywhere, with beds lining the two longer walls, facing each other. There's no privacy there but the beds are so comfortable after sleeping on the ground for three nights.

"You're still bleeding." Will points out.

"I know, can you stitch me up ?" Eretria asks politely.

"I'll do it." A young, blonde elf enters the hall. She's wearing a tight white dress and glasses.

"Please do" Eretria asks, relieved. She knew Will had potential as a healer but she doesn't trust him with stitches yet.

"My name is Dr. Illana. Let me see your wounds." Eretria complies and moves her jacket from where the arrow used to be. The doctor assesses it before asking Will to leave the room. After a bit of complaining he obeys and leaves.

"Can you remove your shirt please?" She asks professionally while getting a stitch pack from a drawer.

Eretria's muscles were raw after her physical efforts from the past three days and she has difficulty taking her shirt off. The doctor takes pity on her and helps her out. She finds herself half naked again but this time she's more at ease, bothered mainly by the cold. This doctor makes her feel safe.

"This will hurt a little. But I'll make it quick." Eretria nods and the elf starts stitching the small wound.

The Rover grits her teeth but it's really small and she's done in no time. Then she proceeds to unwrap the bandages to expose the cut across her stomach.

"What happened here ?" She frowns while examining the healing flesh.

"I fell on my dagger." She jokes, trying to escape the question.

But the doctor glares at her like a teacher catching a kid in a lie. Eretria sighs and answers.

"A guy cut me with a dagger. He went deep and slowly. It hurt like a bitch."

The doctor nods. "Well whoever patched you up out there did a good job, there's no more infection. It's a bit swollen though so I'm going to give you medicine to apply three times a day until the swelling is gone. And keep the bandage on for now." She applies the cream and bandages Eretria's middle again.

She then moves to her face.

"I'm not sure you know this but you're face is pretty bad. I can't do anything about it, though it should be better in a couple days. Take a look at yourself and I'll help you clean up a bit." She hands Eretria a mirror and the Rover gasps at her reflection.

Her shiny brown hair is tangled up, matted with blood and her braids have disappeared. The side of her face is purple, yellow and blue all the way from her cheekbone to her jaw. She took a couple of beatings on that side alone so it's no wonder. Her lip is also split, explaining the blood in her mouth earlier.

She hands the mirror back and they both step into a side room where Eretria undresses with difficulty and washes herself. She's doing great except for her hair so the doctor steps in and helps. They finish in record time and Eretria gets dressed with the doctor's help. She still has her dirty clothes on but she feels fresher anyway.

"I'll be back to see you tomorrow to see your healing progress."

Eretria nods. The doctor is about to leave when the brunette stops her.

"Dr. Illana, does the guard I killed have family ?" She asks in a small voice.

"A little brother, but he will be cared for by the royal family. We don't blame you, if anything, he wasn't trained properly. That arrow proves it." She reassures the human and leaves.

Eretria nods, feeling a bit better. She still feels guilty though, but she shrugs it off for now and lies back on the bed.

Will comes back and lies on his bed again, sleep clearly calling him.

"Someone smells better" He teases her. She just ignores him, feeling exhausted herself.

"So why do you think Alanon wants you so badly to see the Ellcrys ?" He whispers, fighting his shutting eyes.

"I don't know. Goodnight, Will." Eretria answers, but it is a good question.

"Goodnight." He answers back as they both fall asleep.

Eretria wakes up with a start. She's sure someone called her name. A woman. Amberle ?

She gets out of bed as quietly as possible and makes her way around the castle and the guards. They're predictable and she finds herself in front of the Sanctuary in no time.

 _Eretria…_

That voice again. She pushes the wooden doors open and steps in the well lit room. A majestic tree stands before her. She's amazed by its beauty and the power emanating from it.

She takes a few steps towards it and sits by its roots. After a few deep breaths she decides to do what she came here to do in the first place.

"Amberle, I don't know if you can hear me."

She pauses, this is really stupid. But looking up at the red leaves swiftly moving with the wind, she's compelled to keep going.

"But I hope you can. You've done so much for me without realizing it. You showed me another way, you showed me how to change. You met me as an angry, lost orphan. Sold into slavery and not believing in the good in people. But I wanted to be something else. I craved freedom and you gave me a purpose with it." She feels herself getting emotional but the truth needs to be voiced. "I never met anyone who annoyed me and inspired me so much at the same time. I was jealous of the perfect life you seemed to have but I was wrong. Your life wasn't perfect and I was close-minded. My life hasn't been easy and I think it made me oblivious to other people's suffering."

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is thank you, for opening my eyes to a different side of the world, of my world. You forced me to change but you also saw me as something important. I was important for once. You made me better Amberle, you made me stronger. And I miss you. Not just for that but because when I'm with you, the future seems brighter. And sure you're annoying sometimes but you've changed too in the past couple of weeks and I actually like you now. I like being around you, and listening to you trying to change the world. I love your laugh, but I really love making you laugh. I wish you weren't stuck in a tree. I wish you could still have a life, even with Will. You deserve to be happy Amberle, I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I wasn't enough."

Tears stream down her face as she looks at the roots. She doesn't know what she expected, Amberle isn't coming back. She puts her hand on the trunk, wanting to feel the new Amberle once before leaving.

Warmth and love fills her instantly, sending a wide smile to her face. Her system springs to life and she gets up, maintaining contact. She looks around and notices Will silently whispering to the tree, too. He must've followed her, but she doesn't care, she's too happy.

"What are you doing here ?!" King Ander bursts into the Sanctuary followed by a worried Alanon and guards. Eretria jumps back, suddenly feeling depressed by the lack of contact with the Ellcrys.

"Seize her !" He orders without letting her explain.

The guards move forward but are frozen in place, staring wide eyed past her. Eretria turns around and can't believe what she's seeing. The door to the heart of the Ellcrys is open, and Amberle is stumbling out from it.

The Rover recovers the fastest from shock and runs over to catch her before she hits the ground. She can't believe this is real. Amberle is here in her arms. She holds her tightly against her chest as joyful tears blur her vision.

"Eretria, is that really you ?" Amberle asks her in a hopeful voice, tears of her own streaming down her cheeks.

The Rover can only nod as the Princess sits up and hugs her with all the strength she has left. They completely forget the rest of the world as they hold each other, afraid to lose one another again.

* * *

 **A/N :** I hope you enjoyed this chapter, they're finally together ! And so so so so sorry for the delay. It won't happen again (already working on the next chapter) but it's three times longer than the usual ones so I hope you can forgive me.

Please review ! It's really awesome to have any feedback, makes me feel less alone with this story ^^

Next chapter : Everything is explained and we move on with the plot.


	6. Chapter 6 : Figuring it out

Amberle is alive. She's still breathing. She's in Eretria's arms.

But what happened ? One minute she thinks she's dying and the next she's falling into her Rover's arms. Is she really out of the Ellcrys ? She's touching Eretria so this isn't a vision.

"Amberle ! You're back !" Will yells excitedly, tears forming in his eyes.

Will… Amberle forgot about him. She exchanges one last look with Eretria before leaving her embrace and standing up. She smiles and hugs him, happy to see him. They stay that way for a while before Amberle forces herself out of his arms and goes to hug her uncle and even Alanon.

"What day is it ? How long have I been in the Ellcrys ?" She asks as everybody gathers in the center of the Sanctuary.

"It's been the two longest days of my life." Will answers her, a bright smile on his face.

Eretria can't help but smirk at that. Not seven hours ago he was trying to kiss her.

Amberle notices Eretria's reaction and smiles, she really missed her. Alanon clears his throat, the ghost of a smile on his features. Clearly he knows something is up.

"As much as I'm happy my niece is back with us, I thought it was impossible. What happened Alanon?" Ander asks the Druid, a darker tone to his usual care freeness.

"I'm not sure but I do have a theory. There's a prophecy in the Codex." Alanon starts.

"The what now ?" Eretria interrupts.

"The Codex, it's a magical book for Druids." Will provides before anyone else could.

Alanon nods and resumes his theory. "The Prophecy states that _A Seed will come with such Love in its heart, fueled by its True Love's touch, it will embody the Ellcrys in the world of the Living._ I believe the Prophecy came true, Amberle's heart was filled with Love and her True Love touched the Ellcrys, letting her come back to our world. _"_

His words are followed by silence. And a toothy grin from Will, believing he's her True Love.

Amberle isn't sure though. She looks around, assuming everyone in the room touched the Ellcrys when she was in there.

Alanon and Ander surely aren't her True Love. That's absolutely clear. But what about Will and Eretria ?

Will is the obvious one. She slept with him after all, well it was mostly due to the fact she thought she was going to die, and she wanted to experience sex at least once. Will is an attractive guy and she cares about him.

But then there's Eretria. The Rover challenges her, and makes her laugh like no one else. She felt alive in her arms, not just back from the Ellcrys, but truly _alive_. Does this means she's her True Love ?

It can't be… And anyway, Eretria doesn't feel like that, and True Love needs to be reciprocated, so it's not that. Maybe she's just her best friend ? She can love her best friend, right ?

Everyone is startled out of their thoughts by Eretria's loud laughter.

"You're joking right ? Love doesn't exist, let alone _True Love_. It's just people liking each other for a time before moving on to someone else. Your Prophecy is bullshit." She states, clearly amused at what she thinks is their stupidity.

"That's not true. People can love one person for the rest of their lives. It happens." Will defends his point of view, hurt visible on his features.

"In stories, Will. This is real life." Eretria sighs.

"I'm with Will, if Love doesn't exist then what's the point in fighting, surviving ? To enjoy yourself a little longer ? No, it's to protect the people you love, the people who make you happy, the people you can't live without." Amberle jumps in, looking directly in the Rover's warm brown eyes. For some reason, she needs her to believe in love, in True Love.

Eretria tries to look away from those electric blue eyes, she tries not to believe them when they talk about love, but she can't. She can't keep denying love exists, because those eyes looking right at her, belong to Eretria's proof it exists.

"Eretria, I know you've been alone most of your life. But isn't there anyone you would've gladly died for in the past eighteen years ? That you would've given anything to see them be happy and safe ?"

Eretria thinks about Amberle, and how she fits that description. If she loves anybody, it's the Elvin Princess who's in love with Will. And she's weirdly okay with that.

If Will is what makes Amberle happy, then Eretria won't stand in the way. She'll protect that with all she has. Her own happiness never mattered anyway. She's free now, and her new purpose in life is to keep the one person she loves happy.

She's always been second choice anyway.

Eretria looks intently in Amberle's eyes and nods, unable to find words conveying her new understanding.

Amberle lets out the breath she's been holding. Eretria believes love exists, because of her. That thought fills her with joy and hope.

"Well it looks like the boy has some use after all." Ander announces bitterly. Amberle frowns, this isn't like him.

"But Amberle, even though True Love is the most powerful magic there is, there's still a price to pay. According to the Prophecy, you _embody the Ellcrys_. I suspect it means your lives are now bound. If you die, the Ellcrys dies with you."

Amberle nods. She wasn't sure but it sounded right. And for now that's all she had to understand what happened.

"So if Amberle dies, the demons will be released again ?" Ander questions and Alanon nods.

Will shudders at that thought. Eretria just shrugs, the Princess won't die, she'll make sure of that. But she does have a question.

"Alanon, do you know a Druid named Pagmor ?"

Alanon's face falls. "Is he still alive ?"

Eretria frowns. "I take that as a yes. And he was badly injured last time I saw him but he was breathing. You told everyone you were the last of your kind."

Alanon sighs sadly. "I am. He's no longer a Druid. He was the Keeper, but he failed when he lost the last Bloodfire. I know now it was you. I had doubts when I met you but I couldn't be sure so I didn't mention it."

He moves towards the Rover. "Did he tell you where the Bloodfire comes from ?"

"Yes, a group of kids created different creatures after the Apocalypse with magic by tying their blood to the Earth to repopulate. I'm assuming that's why the Seed needed to be soaked in the Flames to work."

Everybody except Alanon looks at the Rover with wide eyes.

"It also means your Blood can heal the Ellcrys if it gets mortally wounded." Alanon simply announces. He looks between the two girls before finishing. "You two are to remain close by for as long as Amberle is here. If anything happens to her, Eretria, you can prevent it from being mortal."

Now even Eretria is startled by this information. She can save Amberle if something goes wrong. It seems so unbelievable but a few weeks ago she found herself face to face with a fury so… Nothing is too incredible to be true anymore.

She looks intensely at the Princess, who seems as confused as she is. She timidly smiles at her, hoping she won't be mad. Why would she ? She has one less chance to die, but she's also stuck with her for the rest of her life.

Amberle finally smiles back. A warm, genuine smile that lifts the Rover's heart. She loves that smile.

"And how would that work ?" Amberle asks curiously.

"I suppose if it works like a potion, you drink it." Alanon answers, looking a bit uncomfortable at that. The girls both make a face, and Will looks utterly disgusted.

"But what if I have alcohol in my system, does it mean Amberle could get drunk from my blood ?" Eretria asks mischievously.

"I really don't want to think about what's going on in your system while I drink blood, Eretria. It's gross enough." Amberle answers playfully.

The girls chuckle together before Alanon clears his throat again.

"There is one last thing we need to talk about tonight. Amberle, I believe the Ellcrys showed you visions. Are there any that we need to know about." He arches an eyebrow, encouraging her to speak.

Amberle nods and takes a deep breath. She hates those visions. She remembers watching Eretria die. It won't happen now, she's back and the Rover won't try to get her out again. Still it hurt. There's also the vision in the cave, where they talk about a rover, a princess and the prophecy. Amberle's eyes go wide when she understands they were talking about Eretria and her. Maybe they were wrong… But maybe it's true. She frowns and shakes her head.

"We will be under attack in a couple of days I think. I can't be sure so we need to prepare now."

"From who ?" Ander asks impatiently.

"I don't know. But they're prepared and they wanted the Prophecy to be accomplished. I think they want to destroy the Ellcrys. Eretria called them fanatics in a vision, so I assume it's some sort of cult."

"You saw me in a vision ?" Eretria asks smugly.

Amberle just smiles at that before focusing on her uncle again. "We need to prepare for an attack."

Ander stays silent for a while, thoughts clearly running through his head.

"No. We don't know if these visions are real or not. Even if they are, they could have changed with these new events." He gestures towards Amberle. "We'll tell the scouts to keep an eye out and send spies across the Lands for information."

"Your Grace…" Alanon starts but he's cut by Ander.

"No Alanon, I won't alarm my people for something that probably isn't true anymore."

"Please Uncle, they will know the Prophecy has come true and they will be here soon. They're planning this attack. We need to defend ourselves and the people of Arborlon."

"Enough Amberle, I'm the King" He threatens her. "And I say we don't do anything until there is actual proof of what you're saying. Your word isn't enough anymore."

"Well you're an idiot." Eretria states nonchalantly.

For the second time in a few minutes, they all look at her in shock.

Ander is the first to recover. "Do you know who you're talking to ?!" he practically yells.

"Yes an idiot who's ready to let his people die because he can't sort his issues." She cocks her head up defiantly.

"Okay, we're all tired. Let's get some sleep and we'll talk again tomorrow. Does Will and Eretria have a room in the guest wing ?" Amberle tries to diffuse the situation.

"The half-breed yes, but the rover is sleeping in the dungeons." Ander answers venomously.

"Fine, then I will too. I can't be too far from her remember ?" Amberle proudly announces.

For the first time in History, Alanon smirks.

This must have taken even Ander aback because he concedes. "I suppose we can make an exception. She can have your old handmaiden's room. It's close to yours if I recall."

Amberle nods.

"Now that's settled, you're all dismissed" he says, clearly tired and irritated. He leaves the room first with the guards waiting outside Sanctuary.

"We need to talk, but it's the middle of the night and we're all tired. So let's go."

They all leave Sanctuary, Amberle looking one last time at the Ellcrys with a mixture of worry, resentment but also longing. She was safe in there, unhappy but safe. Not anymore.

Well that wasn't exactly true. She felt safe with Eretria and Alanon. Between their fighting skills, his magic and her healing blood, she's pretty sure she couldn't be any safer. Even Will had healing abilities.

Thinking of him, he walks up to her.

"Hey." He smiles.

"Hey". She smiles back.

"So do you want me to stay with you tonight ? After those two days alone, you might want company." He asks sincerely.

Will is a nice guy. He just doesn't really get her and she doesn't know how she feels about this True Love thing. She's not feeling it, for now, so maybe a little distance would be good ?

"I'm okay, Will. Thanks. I was wondering, were you touching the Ellcrys when I came out, or around that time ? The Prophecy says my True love's touch would set me free, or something like that." Amberle asks trying to keep her face neutral. She's dreading that answer.

"Yes I was." He answers happily. Amberle's heart fell. She was hoping for Eretria. Why was she hoping for Eretria ?!

"But so was Eretria. She sneaked in and I followed her. Then she started talking to you. It felt personal so I moved over and talked to you myself. Your Uncle came in with guards and they were going to arrest Eretria when you came out." He explains.

Amberle can't help but smile a little. Eretria talked to her. She wishes she heard it but knowing her Rover cares is enough to make her happy.

"You know, Will touched the Ellcrys before you, when you were still in Safehold." Alanon tells Eretria quietly, so the other two behind can't hear.

"So ?" Eretria answers, oblivious.

"So nothing happened before tonight." He drops with a mysterious smile.

Will and Amberle catch up with them, so Eretria can't question him more. She thinks she knows what he's implying but it's not possible.

She dismisses it for weird Druid talk as the group enters the Castle. The walk to the Royal Family's wing is done in silence but as they reach Amberle's door, Alanon guides her apart.

"I need you to know your Uncle Arion came back in demon form." Amberle gasps but Alanon quickly continues. "I'm sorry to tell you like this but he killed Commander Tilton. Then Ander killed him for good we hope." He pauses there to let her digest a bit.

"Your Uncle has been different ever since. He lost you too that night. That much loss affects people. He's a darker version of himself, but I'm hoping you being back will help. He loves you like a little sister Amberle, you can make him see the light again."

Amberle doesn't know what to say, Alanon senses it and smiles sadly.

"Rest Princess, you don't have to figure anything out tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

She nods gratefully. "Thank you Alanon. Good night."

The Druid walks back to Will and Eretria. The Rover was teasing him about his anatomy and he was grateful to follow the Druid to the Guest wing, hugging quickly Amberle good night.

The two girls were left alone in the corridor. They looked at each other awkwardly until Eretria blurted out.

"Hum, Goodnight." She was about to enter her room, which was a little further from Amberle's room.

"Eretria, wait." Amberle pleads. The Rover turns around, not sure what to expect.

"Thank you, for coming back. Judging by your face, it mustn't have been easy." She teases lightly, pointing at the bruises on the shorter woman's jaw and cheekbone.

Eretria relaxes and smiles cockily "You should see the other guys."

Amberle chuckles before pulling the Rover in a tight hug. Eretria holds her as close as possible without even realizing.

"I'm so happy you're back." She mumbles in the Princess' shoulder, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I'm so happy you're alive." Amberle replies, her own voice wet with emotion.

They separate from each other but remain close, holding each other's gaze.

"I should've known you wouldn't die at the hands of Trolls." The princess says happily.

"Yeah well it was close, but that wouldn't have been a great ending to my amazing story." Eretria seemingly jokes but Amberle senses there's something the Rover is avoiding. She makes a mental note to question her tomorrow.

"It's true. Goodnight Eretria." Amberle ignores the sadness in Eretria's eyes for now, both women too tired to talk further.

"Goodnight Amberle." The Rover smiles before entering her small room.

She undresses quickly, keeping only her panties. They're inspired from the old humans' underwear, just like bras. All the species from the Four Lands use similar undergarments because they're easy to make from cotton and very comfortable compared to linen bindings.

Eretria literally falls on the small bed in the room, minding her stomach, and slips immediately in a dreamless sleep.

Amberle can't say the same. She found her night routine unnecessary since she lived on the road for a couple of weeks so she simply changed in a satin blue nightgown, matching her eyes and went to bed.

She's exhausted so sleep comes easy, but her dreams are invaded by a familiar voice calling to her. She finds herself inside the Ellcrys again, in that darkness.

"Amberle, welcome back" The eerie voice greets her.

"What ? No ! I thought I was out !" Amberle starts to panic and searches frantically for a way out.

"Calm down, you're still out. Just asleep. I can bring you here in your mind when you're asleep. I won't do it often, don't worry. But I think you deserve to understand what happened."

Amberle settles down at that and patiently waits for what happens next.

"The vision where the Bloodfire dies was an alternate future. If you hadn't won the Trial, she would have been imprisoned tonight until the Burning, the cult you saw, attacked the castle. She would've escaped the dungeons and died four days from now."

Amberle suspected it was something like this so she just nods for the Ellcrys to continue.

"You then had a choice. Kill me and you would be free or don't and we would merge. That was a lie. I needed to see if you would put the lives of the Four Lands before your own, knowing this would lead to the one you love the most dying. You chose well and I can trust you in the world of the Living to put us first, for the Greater Good." The female voice finished.

"Wait Eretria is my True Love, not Will ?!" Amberle asks, confused. She needs a clear answer.

" Our lives are now bound." The Ellcrys simply replies.

"Answer me !" She yells as she feels herself drift back to reality.

She wakes up with a start, confused and lost. Is Eretria really her True Love ? And does she feel the same way ? Can they even be together with everything that's happening ?

She frowns and gets up as dawn breaks through her room. She has a war to prepare, she doesn't have time to figure out her love life.

* * *

 **A/N :** I know this chapter is a little boring but I had to make sure everything was clear before moving on. Hope you enjoyed it anyway.

If there's something unclear or if it doesn't make sense, tell me and I'll try to explain or fix it in future chapters.

Oh and sorry for the True Love fluff. I'm a big Once Upon a Time fine and… It fit well ^^ No curses I promise !

Next chapter : The Princess and the Rover spend time together.


	7. Chapter 7 : Finding your place

**A/N :** I found out the Castle in Arborlon is called "Silver City", so I'll be referring to it like that now.

* * *

Amberle is beating the crap out of a wooden practice dummy. She was in a bad mood this morning, having slept very little since leaving the Ellcrys. She was scared of having visions, they always seem to bring bad news. She talked to Alanon about it and he said the Ellcrys will communicate when it needs to, but she could also control it. If she wants to see the past or the future she can. She just needs to focus.

That didn't really help, she could still have them. So she spent the last few days keeping her mind blank, training to get her frustration out. She was always up at dawn, the first on the training ground. At first, the soldiers were surprised and observed her skills for a while before starting their own training, but they were used to her now. The only one still paying attention is Eretria.

The Rover arrives when the sun is already up and shining. She starts by throwing blades in Amberle's general direction, startling the Elvin princess. The first day she got angry but now she understood it was great training. Then after a while she picks up two daggers and challenges the Elvin soldiers.

Amberle is shocked that some of them still try to take her down after she beat every single one of them.

They usually end up fighting each other by the end of the morning, and Eretria usually wins. Then they would spend the afternoon going over battle plans with Alanon and Will or exploring the city. Eretria was amazed that so many people lived together in harmony. They all had jobs and helped each other. The kids were playing without a care in the world, bringing a sad smile to Eretria. She knew more than anyone that outside the city walls, children grew up differently.

Amberle guided her through the alleys and the people to the best places she knew. Like the baker's stall or the stables. That's where Eretria found Zora again. She spent an hour with her, talking and giving her apples while Amberle rode her white stallion, Silver. Eretria made fun of the name but the two horses liked each other immediately so she knocked it off.

Amberle bought Zora so the smaller brunette could ride her whenever she wanted or needed to. Eretria thanked her profusely but didn't say anything about the name when the Elf asked, and Amberle decided not to push it for now. After all she was supposed to ignore her love life, including Eretria. That was impossible though.

But this morning things were different. Eretria was late. It was already midmorning when the Rover showed up, frown glued to her face and looking threatening. She was dressed in her old clothes, ditching the rich fabrics the Elvin handmaidens brought her. She tried to fit in the past few days, dressing more like Amberle, with a white leather corset, a purple linen cloak over one shoulder and dark leggings. She still wore her comfortable, dirty brown boots but she looked more like an elf than a rover.

This morning though she appeared with a simple grey cotton tank top, her orange jacket over it and her blood stained, washed up green pants. She also braided the side of her hair again.

She takes two daggers from the weapon's rack and shouts, unmistakable rage in her voice.

"So, which one of you pointy ears would like to take on this Rover scum ? Huh ?" She looks around defiantly but, unlike the previous days, not one of the trained soldiers move. They sense something is off and this could be dangerous.

Eretria groans at the lack of response and ads with a devious grin. "Let's make things interesting. This fight will be a fight to the death."

Amberle moves past the soldiers and approaches Eretria. She could try to talk her down but something clearly happened and she isn't sure she would succeed. So a crazy idea pops up in her head. She manages to put a cocky smile on her face before unsheathing her blade.

"Fine, let's do this." The princess starts circling the shorter brunette.

Eretria is taken aback. She didn't mean Amberle, she's the only elf she doesn't want to stake.

"Not you, Amberle. I don't want to kill you." She says in a low, dangerous tone.

"You said pointy ears. That means me too. So come on, you want to fight to the death, let's go." She manages to put on an angry face as she moves to slash Eretria's side but the Rover parries with both daggers before kicking her hard in the chest, making her take a couple of steps back.

Amberle can clearly see Eretria's blood boiling, but also the restraint in her moves. She needs to make her let go. For some reason she trusts the Rover wouldn't actually kill her, unlike the other soldiers.

Eretria's mind is blinded by rage and confusion at the fact the Princess is actually attacking her. As Amberle comes back to attack with all she has, Eretria's anger wins and she starts to fight back. Her moves are sloppy, fueled by pure rage, so Amberle easily parries, over and over. They fight like that for what seems like an eternity, Eretria furiously attacking while Amberle manages to defend herself. But after a while, even Eretria's great stamina falters and she starts tiring. Amberle takes the opportunity to body check her on a parry. She loses her balance at the impact though and they both crash on the ground. Eretria instinctively straddles the Princess and presses one of her daggers to her throat.

They stare at each other, both women panting from their effort. Amberle looks intently in those dark brown eyes for a sign her Rover has calmed down, but Eretria is still frowning. Her mind is trying to wrap itself around the fact the elf under her blade is her friend, someone she needs to protect, someone who respects her, who understands her. Not one of those guards.

A couple of minutes pass, where Amberle patiently waits for Eretria to come back, internally praying the Gods she's right and she won't slit her throat. Because if she's wrong, this would be a foolish way to go for the Elessedil princess.

She starts laughing, imagining what her eulogy would be and thinking about the fact that a couple weeks ago, this would've been normal behavior for them. They came a long way, any way this plays out.

Eretria is still struggling when Amberle lets out a throaty laugh from underneath. She's literally startled out of her thoughts by that beautiful laugh. What the hell is she doing ? She can't believe she was seriously considering killing her. She starts laughing herself while sitting up.

Both women look at each other and laugh hysterically at the situation. The soldiers around look at them with wide eyes, while Eretria helps Amberle stand up.

As their laughter starts to fade, the Princess notices the stunned look on them and frowns.

"Move along guys, nothing to see here." She yells at them before focusing on Eretria again.

"You okay ?" She asks with a kind smile.

"Better now. Thank you, Amberle. And sorry for trying to kill you. It seems I make a habit of it." She shyly smiles back.

"Don't worry, I tried to kill you too, you know. But I had reasons, not good ones but still, why the blood lust ?"

Eretria looks long and hard in the taller brunette's eyes. Thinking about it now, she shouldn't have gotten herself all worked up. It was really childish and she felt embarrassed. She sighs and starts her explanation.

"Thinking about it now, I realize it was stupid to let myself rage like that." She paused and Amberle nods her to continue. "What happened was…"

She's interrupted by a loud "Princess Amberle !" and a running scout nearly crashing into her.

After initial shock, the princess in question regained her composure and looked right at the young scout. "What is it, Niad ?"

"You were right, they're gathering at about a day's ride north of here." She answers while catching her breath."

Amberle felt her world crashing, the battle was closer than she hoped.

"All right, find Alanon and Will and tell them to come to the Throne room. We need to gather the Council and my Uncle and tell them what's going on. Come with them, we'll need you're testimony on this." The princess finished authoritatively, earning herself a nod and a short bow from the scout before she ran off to surely find the Druid.

"What _is_ going on ?" Eretria asks, not too happy about being kept in the dark.

Amberle starts to walk towards the Castle, the Rover on her trail. "I'll explain in Council, please come with me."

"Of course." For once Eretria didn't add a snarky comment, feeling Amberle was already on edge.

They passed through the corridors in silence, the Princess preparing what she needed to say to the Council and Eretria simply following her, understanding that Amberle needed to gather herself in peace.

Soon enough they reach the Throne room's large wooden doors, guarded by two of the Home Guard. They open the large doors at Amberle's arrival, revealing a large white marble room with high ceilings and an elevated grand throne on the far end. It's the middle of the day so the sun is shining through openings on top of the high walls and the open balconies on each side.

Eretria is about to follow the Princess through the doors when both guards stop her, crossing their spears on her path. She manages to stop right before hitting them, startled by the sudden obstruction.

"Not you, _mutt_ , you have no business in here." The guard on the right snarls at her.

The Rover, having been called that same nickname that morning by another member of the Home Guard, wasn't so surprised by it and managed to contain herself.

She hated it so much. It wasn't the worst anyone called her, but coming from these arrogant Elvin pricks, it was so humiliating. They reduced her as nothing more than a stray dog following Amberle around. She tried blending in with them, to show them they weren't that different. She thought she could start some kind of peace and acceptance between the Elvin and the Humans. But all she managed to do was reduce herself to an animal, a pet, in their eyes.

The guard who called her that during her breakfast regretted it instantly. She grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and slammed his head on the table, demanding an explanation.

That's how she learned the Guards came up with it while joking about her new attire and the fact she followed Amberle everywhere it seemed. She was speechless at that. Even as a rover, people treated her badly, but they never made her feel like she was less than them. Except for Cephelo who often reminded her she was just another slave. But amongst them, they fought, and hated one another, but they were equal in the fact they were nothing. Even Cephelo didn't put himself above the others except when he ordered people around. It wasn't mean-spirited though, it was practical. He was their leader and he needed rules to be respected so he could get rich.

With the Elvin, they felt superior just because she was different, and she couldn't do anything about it. But what hurt the most that morning was the fact she tried to be like them, and it just ended up humiliating her. She looked up and saw the scared look of the servants around her, and she understood that to them, she was either a dangerous rover or a joke.

Well, she vowed to never be a joke again. She let the guard go and stormed to her room to change clothes before marching towards the training ground to challenge one of them and prove she was better than them. She forgot about Amberle being there, completely focused on her need of beating an Elvin ass.

Confronted by a similar situation again, Eretria figures this isn't the time to kick their butts, Amberle has enough on her plate without having to deal with the Rover beating guards up. So she just glares at them angrily before turning to go away, under their quiet chuckles.

She's about to start walking when the voice of an enraged Amberle makes her turn around again.

"How dare you talk to her this way ?" Amberle asks the guards, now facing her, dangerously, barely containing her anger.

"Amberle, it's okay, you have more important things to do than..." Eretria starts but she's cut off by the Princess.

"Than defending you, you mean." Eretria barely nods, now fearing her wrath as well.

"That's bullshit. After everything, defending you is one of my priorities." She looked the Rover in the eyes while saying this, trying to make her understand how important she actually is. Eretria genuinely smiles at that, happy Amberle feels that way. She's also slightly shocked by the Princess swearing.

Then Amberle focuses on the guards again, anger boiling up in her veins.

"As for the two of you, you think calling her _mutt_ is funny ? That woman locked herself up with an army of trolls so I could come back and save your sorry asses, that _mutt_ is the reason you're still alive. So you're going to address her as Lady Eretria, apologize and let her pass." She scolds them before discretely winking to the Rover facing her.

Eretria chuckles quietly at Amberle giving her a fake title and her unusual language. Who knew the Princess loosened up when angry ? The Rover imagined she would use some big words to insult people without them even knowing, which would be great, but Amberle swearing did things to her.

"But we're not the only ones." The one who insulted Eretria tries to defend.

"Dude shut up, you're not helping yourself" Eretria tells him, a small smile on her lips. These guys were idiots.

"She's right, Lady Eretria is an esteemed guest of the royal family. Disrespecting her, even if everybody else does, doesn't make you innocent of insubordination. How would that look for your career ?" She asks rhetorically, an amused glint in her eyes as both guards look down.

Amberle looks at them pointedly before they turn sideways and both mutter a "Sorry, Lady Eretria."

"You can do better."Amberle says forcefully. It wasn't a question and they sheepishly try again.

"My apologies, Lady Eretria." For the second time, the quiet guard apologizes.

"I am truly sorry for my comment, Lady Eretria. May you forgive us." The talkative one adds.

"It's quite alright, you're forgiven." Eretria mustered her most royal posture. She would look like a lady if it wasn't for her roughed up clothes and braided hair.

"You better not pull something like that again. And pass the word to the rest of the Home Guard, next one who disrespects a guest in this castle, any guest, will lose his or her job." Amberle threatens firmly.

"Come on, Eretria, there's a lot to discuss." She adds towards the Rover.

"Uh… I'm sorry but we can't let her in. Orders from the King." The first guard mumbles barely loud enough for the girls to hear.

"I'm going to talk to my Uncle ." Amberle quickly assures but she's stopped by Eretria's hand on her arm.

"No it's okay, don't worry. I'll go take some fresh air, just tell me what happened when you're done." Eretria tells her with a resigned smile.

Amberle, nerves rushing back as the tension is over, nods her head before taking a deep breath. She turns around and starts towards the center of the room.

"Oh and Amberle, you're the most bad-ass person in there, don't let them ignore you." Eretria grins.

The Princess turns around to answer her but the Rover is already gone. Amberle knows Eretria is right and builds her confidence up as she strides towards her Uncle.

"Your Grace, Councilmen and women, Alanon and Will," she smiles while greeting the last two before regaining her composure, "I asked for this meeting because I have grave news. The cult I saw in my vision is gathering its army north from here. They are about a day's ride from Arborlon."

She pauses there and gestures Niad to approach. "Please tell them what you saw."

The scout tells them about the four races united under a burning tree banner. They were at least a thousand without counting their cavalry and siege weapons. Alanon asks her a bit more about the exact location and if she saw any leaders. After a negative response and a short pause, he kindly dismisses her so they could discuss their plan.

"What was she doing up there ? I sent the scouts to the major cities across the Four lands and they aren't back yet." Ander inquires, anger in his tone.

"The major _Elvin_ cities. They have warriors from all the races, and they were in a cave in my vision so I sent her and a couple others towards the main known, habitable caves across the Lands." Amberle confidently answers, preparing herself for her Uncle's wrath. He changed recently and she still didn't have time to figure him out.

"You have no right to undermine my authority, Amberle. I am the King and what I say goes." He scolds her.

"So what do you say about this threat a day's ride away from your people ?" Alanon diverts the conversation.

The king glares one last time at Amberle, who holds his gaze, before addressing the rest of them. "I say I'm going to send scouts there, so we can have more reliable information. A soldier who disobeys can't be trusted."

"With all due respect, Uncle. Niad is the best scout we have. I sent her there under the assumption this was your order. She didn't betray you, I did." This was getting dangerous, but she approaches him, like she used to when she needed him. "I don't know why you refuse to believe in the Ellcrys's power after everything that happened."

He looks sadly at her, it seems she's on to something but they are interrupted by a grey-haired councilman. "We can't draft the army with this little information."

"This is more information than you need. There is a threat and we can't stay back and do nothing" Another councilman answers him.

"But if we do too much, too soon, we'll lose the people's confidence." A younger councilwoman replies, glasses on her nose.

"After what Amberle did for us, the people of Arborlon would walk through fire for her. I've seen their devotion." Will interjects.

The room erupts into an endless debate about whether or not they should call the banners and assemble the army or just send a small party to get more information. The only ones not saying a word are Ander, Alanon and Amberle. The three of them think for a long moment before Ander nods at Amberle, and so does the Druid.

She takes a breath, this is it. The moment she needs to convince them to trust her. Last time Will intervened but she has to do this on her own. She knows she's right, and with her Uncle on her side, this could work. Maybe it's not too late.

"Enough !" The Princess yells across the room, effectively putting an end to all the pointless chatter.

"Listen, I understand that some of you don't have the same faith in the Ellcrys as I do. Or that you don't believe me. You haven't seen what I've seen, you haven't lived what I lived, so I don't blame you. But why would I lie ?" She asks rhetorically.

"We're not saying you're lying, we're saying you might be wrong." The first grey-haired councilman answers anyway.

She nods before continuing. "I'm not. The Ellcrys showed me a vision of what it looks like if we don't prepare anything. And Arborlon falls." She pauses there to add a bit of effect. "They reach the Ellcrys, and people die. I know how this will sound but if they manage to kill me, the Demons will be released again." At that they all shudder, remembering the battle against the Demons. "The Ellcrys wasn't wrong then, it saved us. It will again, you just need to take a small chance."

"If I'm wrong and nothing comes, you lose money and credibility but at least you were prepared. If I'm right and we don't do anything, the Four Lands will burn under the Demon's attack and we will all die, some more painfully than others." She plays with their fear and it seems to work. "So I'm asking you, are you ready to gamble with thousands of lives, including your own just to save money and your reputation ?" She asks seriously this time and after a moment of silence, they all shake their heads.

"So let's put it to a vote, all those in favor of preparing Arborlon for an upcoming attack, whatever it takes, raise your hands." Ander orders and immediately raises his own hand. The Council unanimously follows him, making Amberle, Alanon and Will relax.

"Then it's settled. As of now, we are in War time. I'd like to remind everyone it means no more Council, I make the decisions." He pointedly looks at Amberle in the end. "I'll convey War council tonight with my generals. Amberle, if you have any more visions, please come directly to me and Alanon. You may go. " He dismisses them and they all leave the room, leaving the King alone.

Amberle shots one last glare to the guard who immediately straightens up, making her smile proudly. Once in the hallway, Alanon quickly congratulates her on her speech before turning around and walking straight back to the Throne room. Like Amberle, he must've sensed a shift in Ander's behavior and decided to try helping him.

Will and Amberle face each other awkwardly in the hallway, the Princess eager to find Eretria.

"Congrats on the speech, you were great." He rubs the back of his neck nervously.

"Thank you, Will. Is everything all right ?" She asks him, concerned with his behavior.

"So we never talked about what happened in the cave." She sighs and tries to interrupt him but he gestures for her to wait.

"I just want to say that, first of all it was amazing". He smiles genuinely at that, breaking Amberle's heart. She knows where this is going. "But I'd like for us to start again, to really date and get to know each other. We're heading in another battle right now, but maybe after we could go somewhere, just the two of us ?" he asks hopefully.

Amberle looks at him sadly. "Will, I don't regret what we shared in that cave. It was a great experience and I'm glad I did it with you. But," his face falls at that simple word and Amberle has to fight to keep going, "I'm not in love with you."

She said it. What she suspected for a long time in the back of her head, what was clearer every day, every moment she shared with Eretria. She loves him sincerely just not romantically.

After a pause, Will frowns, clearly confused. "But, I'm your True Love."

"I don't know about that. But whether you are or not, I know that right now, I'm not in love with you. I love you Will, but as a friend, and I don't think we'll ever be anything else." She answers him, regret written on her face.

He looks hurt, but nods. "Okay. I still don't really get it, but if you change your mind, I'll be there."

She smiles sadly at him. "Okay. But if you can, move on. You deserve someone who can truly love you." He nods again, looking defeated.

"Can I hug you ?" he asks shyly.

"Of course." She answers while wrapping her arms around him.

They hug each other tightly for a few minutes, before Amberle remembers Eretria and pulls out of their embrace.

"I'm sorry but I have to go." She says sadly.

"Sure. See you around." He finally smiles at her, lifting a weight of her chest. In time they're going to be fine. Things won't be the same but she cares about him and values his friendship.

She smiles kindly at him before half-running to the servant's quarters. That's where Eretria generally eats, Ander's orders, but Amberle is pretty sure Eretria doesn't mind. The fancy dining hall, with all the other politicians, commanders, royal family and guests eating there would be a _pain in her ass_ , to put it in her words.

The meeting with the Council was pretty fast so it was barely noon when she entered the kitchen in search of her favorite Rover, but she wasn't there. After a few minutes of intense thinking she smiles. Of course she would be in the Gardens of Life, the forest surrounding the Ellcrys.

One night on the road, Eretria confessed she loved the forest because that's where she spent most of her time as a child, avoiding the other rovers as much as possible, while they were traveling. She didn't dwell on it much, but Amberle could tell how much she loved it and felt comfortable surrounded by trees, unlike her.

So the Princess leaves the Silver City's walls and makes the short walk to the Tree line. She walks along it until she hears children's laughter. She follows it to a clearing in the middle of the trees. That's where the Gauntlet started.

She's shocked by the sight greeting her. Eretria is in the middle of a circle of Elvin children. She recognizes them as orphans, living with the priests. They usually roam around the city freely, no one bothering with them. She met them with Eretria a day prior in the market. She bought all of them, including the Rover, some of the best apple pie in town, before they had to go back to the Temple.

But here they are listening attentively to every word Eretria says. Soon, all the children scatter around and try to make each other fall to the ground. They have mild success until Eretria goes to each pair and corrects them. In the end only one little girl is having trouble with a boy twice her size.

Eretria corrects her, but the girl lacks confidence and she doesn't try enough.

"Okay kiddo, wait here. I'm going to show you." Eretria runs out of the clearing. The kids keep practicing, enjoying themselves.

Amberle crouches down and sits on a log to keep watching without disturbing. This is a side of Eretria she never saw.

A couple of minutes later, Eretria comes back dragging an Elvin soldier by the name of Daxian with her. Amberle liked him when they were younger. His parents were members of the Black Watch so they grew up together. But his parents died from the gnome attack the same night she lost her father. He was sent to live in the Temple and she never saw him again.

He was tall, muscular, even for a soldier, with jet black hair and a matching short beard. His eyes were a deep green, like the leaves on the trees surrounding him.

Now she remembered why she had a crush on him.

"Hey everybody, come here. I'm going to show you something cool." The children gather around the pair of adults.

"This is Dax" they all chant hello, which makes the soldier smile. Oh what a smile. "He's going to demonstrate why size doesn't matter" he glares at the Rover, clearly fighting back a chuckle," in a fight." She finishes playfully.

The two of them size each other up, previous playfulness gone. After a small while, Eretria lunges at him, he dodges but he doesn't expect her to grab his wrist in the process. She twists it behind his back and places a kick behind his knee cap. He falls to his knees and she decides to finish by pressing her own knee between his shoulder blades, forcing him to lie down on the ground, face first.

She smiles triumphantly while the kids cheer her on. She stands up and helps Dax up. Amberle smiles proudly, she knew Eretria was good but that was great. She wonders where she learned all that.

"Okay, I'm impressed." Dax genuinely smiles at her.

"Told you I was good. Back to practicing, guys. Come on ! And remember size doesn't matter." Eretria motivates them before noticing Amberle.

As they lock eyes, the Princess's head starts to pound and she sighs. Not again… Her vision blurs and she falls to the ground.

 _A young brunette, around twelve years old, is pushed by Cephelo in the middle of a circle of rovers. She's wearing a dirty blue shirt , skinny black pants and boots._

 _Five older kids, maybe sixteen seventeen, are also being pushed in the circle. She doesn't seem scared though as she gets in a defensive stance. Amberle notices the Bloodfire mark. This is Eretria. She looks different though, she seems lighter, her eyes are not as dark as they are now._

 _The adults around them are yelling, either cheering or mocking some of them. Eretria was in the latter category._

" _You ready to get your ass kicked, little girl ?" One man shouted._

" _Yeah, you won't last two minutes !" Another responded to the laughs of his peers._

 _Eretria didn't seem to care as the fight begins. She parries each one of their blows expertly, moving with such agility, it's hard to keep up with her. She manages to get two boys down pretty quickly, without so much of a scrape, but the other girl in the ring is tougher. Eretria suffers a couple of hard punches in the ribs, before returning the situation and knocking the other girl out._

 _Only two guys are left. They don't seem scared though as they lunge for her together. The young rover is having trouble defending both her sides at once and she gets roughly beat up. When she finally pushes them back, her nose is profusely bleeding, her cheekbone is already very swollen and her arms are covered in cuts from their rings. Her leg seems to be suffering too but it's hard to tell as she keeps fighting them, ignoring the pain. She manages to get another one down by ducking just as the other boy aimed a punch at her face, getting his friend in the gut instead. Eretria finishes him by kicking his face, hard._

 _The last one is enraged by her trick and he lunges at her. She avoids him and takes some distance. They size up one another, fists in the air. Eretria is clearly looking for a strategy. She seems to have found it because now she's lunging at him. He dodges her but she grabs his arm, twists it and forces him on his knees by kicking the back of his knee. Then she punched him in the jaw before slamming his head on her own knee._

 _Amberle's not sure the boy will ever wake up after that kind of hit on his head. The rovers are silent as they take in the fact this twelve year beat up five kids four years older than her, well until they start cheering her like a hero._

 _Eretria smiles through bloody teeth, her fists covered in red. Zora, clearly happy, emerges from the crowd and hugs her tightly._

 _Amberle doesn't catch what they say to each other but soon enough Zora helps Eretria out the circle._

She opens her eyes to find herself staring at Eretria.

"Hey…" She croaks while sitting up.

"What happened ?" Eretria asks, concerned.

"I had another vision." Eretria looks at her sympathetically, knowing Amberle hates her visions. "But this one wasn't too bad. It was about you." She adds with a smile.

"Are you obsessed or something ?" The Rover teases her while helping her sit back on the log.

"No, I was wondering how you learned that move on Daxian. And when you looked at me, it just happened." She tries to explain.

Eretria sits on the ground beside her, facing the clearing where Dax has taken over minding the kids. "So what did you see ?" She asks, trying to hide her fear. There are things in her past she doesn't want Amberle to know, let alone see.

"You were twelve I think. You were fighting older teenagers in a circle of rovers. You beat them up and you used that move on the last guy. Then everyone cheered and Zora helped you out the circle."

Eretria smiles. "That's the first time I won in the ring. Before that I always got my ass kicked, but that day I kept my cool and I won. Zora and I celebrated by buying tons of candy at the next village with my money. It was great."

"So you came up with it that day." Eretria nods. "But is the boy dead ? That was a pretty hard blow."

Eretria frowns. "No, we were underage, so no killing. The guy was up and running a week after. He hated me ever since though."

Amberle smiles, relieved. She knows Eretria probably killed people, but that was unnecessary and brutal.

They watch the children improve on their fighting skills and the little girl struggling earlier is finally kicking her opponent's butt.

"I'm sorry the guards treated you that way earlier." Amberle breaks the silence.

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have flipped out the way I did either. I won't let that get to me anymore. It's stupid." Eretria answers honestly.

"Just so you know, I like hanging out with you. I know you're not following me around, like a _mutt_ , but it's nice when you're there." Amberle smiles shyly towards Eretria not sure of her answer.

"I was following you a bit though." The Rover looks down before explaining. "I tried to fit in, to prove that I wasn't just a rover. So I copied you."

"I know, I'm perfect, everyone wants to be like me." Amberle jokes, earning herself a light punch on the shoulder by Eretria.

"Don't get cocky." The shorter brunette warned playfully.

Amberle gets serious again. "Well you are a rover, but not just a rover. You're Eretria. You're the best fighter I know, you're kind-hearted, less selfish," that earned her a teasing glare, "funny, beautiful…" Amberle stops a few seconds, allowing them a moment to look into each other's eyes, "self-sacrificing, maybe too honest, great with children apparently," she gestures towards the training kids in front of them, "but most of all, you're important to me, because you're unique in the Four Lands. You're the proof our upbringing doesn't define us, _we_ do. And I truly admire that about you. How driven and independent you are in spite of everything." She finishes with a smile. "You're important to me Eretria, so please don't ever change because you are amazing, just the way you are."

Eretria smiles, blinking tears away. She's truly touched by the other woman's words. "Wow, please write my eulogy."

Amberle chuckles and slips off the log to hug her. Eretria surprisingly smells sweetly, a mixture of vanilla and cinnamon, reminding Amberle of her winter's hot drinks by the fire. She smiles at that. It's weird but pleasant. She breathes the other woman in, not noticing Eretria was doing the same.

Of course the Princess smells of fresh flowers. Eretria doesn't know anything about them but the scent reminds her of some flower growing in a meadow near Shady Vale. No wonder Will was in love with her, it smells divine.

They separate when Dax comes by and clears his throat.

"Hi. Sorry to interrupt, but I sent the kids back to the Temple, it's nearly lunch and I didn't want them to be in trouble. I told them to come back tomorrow. Can I join again ?" he asks hopefully. The man didn't smile much, but spending time with the kids sure helped it seems.

"Of course, same time, same place big guy." Eretria answers with a smile of her own.

He nods before leaving the women alone.

"So you met Daxian ?" Amberle asks, curious.

"Yeah, I kicked his butt the other day and we've been hanging out since. I like him, he's different. Not a pompous ass like the others. He's… Genuinely kind." Eretria answers, smiling at the memories.

Amberle can't help but frown. "Is there something going on between you two ?"

Eretria smirks. "He's just a drinking buddy. Anyway he has a fiancé."

Amberle relaxes "Oh… Well she's a lucky one. He's a keeper."

"Are you interested ?" Eretria asks suspiciously.

"What ? No. Really no. I used to but not anymore." She answers truthfully. She still finds him kind and attractive but she can't see herself with him. Like Lorin. The man is perfect but there isn't any spark. Something is missing. She recognizes it now.

"Okay." Eretria smiles, dropping the subject.

"We should go get lunch." Amberle suggests. The Rover nods and they both stand up.

"So what happened with the King ?" She inquires while they follow the Tree line, back to the Silver City.

Amberle smiles. It ended well but it was going to be a long explanation.

* * *

 **A/N :** I'm on a roll here, 3 chapters in a week ! I hope you enjoyed this one and thanks for the reviews, it's awesome !

I brought back the visions in this one. Tell me if you like it, I'm not sure about them yet.

This was way longer than I anticipated. I'll try to keep them shorter in the future.

Next chapter on sunday : Let's just say it's rated M for a reason ;)


	8. Chapter 8 : A night to remember

**TW :** smut at the end of the chapter !

* * *

"Eretria ! You should be ready by now." Amberle scolds upon entering the other brunette's room and sees her lying face first in her bed, still wearing a dark grey shirt.

The Rover in question frowns and mumbles in her pillow. "I'm not going."

Amberle sighs, she half-expected this. "Why ?" She asks impatiently, running late herself.

Eretria turns around and sits up, still frowning.

"It's going to be _so_ boring."

"Like that's the reason you'd pass on free alcohol and delicious food." Amberle puts on her "don't bullshit me" face.

"Elvin food is mediocre at best." Eretria tries again, mumbling.

" _Mediocre_ ? Really ? Tell that to the three pieces of vanilla and strawberry cake you ate at lunch." Amberle shots back with a teasing smile.

After a small pause, Eretria chuckles lightly, clearly caught in her lie.

"But there was so much cream on top." The Rover moans at the memory.

The Princess laughs before pressing on, while sitting on the bed beside her.

"So why don't you want to go to the party. Aren't you happy I'm back ?" She asks, pretending to be hurt.

Eretria throws her pillow in Amberle's direction but the Elf catches it before it reaches her face.

"Hey !" She exclaims playfully.

Eretria shrugs, a devilish grin on her lips.

Both women stay silent, Amberle hoping it will push Eretria to express her fears. The Princess knows this party isn't going to be easy for the lonely Rover, and she wants to help in any way possible. Truthfully she'd much rather spend the night just the two of them, talking about anything they want, but the party is in her honor, and with the battle approaching, everyone needs it. And she needs Eretria to get through it.

"It's just…" Eretria finally breaks the silence. "I'm scared I'll embarrass you."

After the whole _mutt_ incident yesterday, she kept clear of everyone except Amberle and Dax for the day. She spent the morning with the Orphans and Dax, like she promised, and the afternoon training with Amberle. Her evenings were usually pretty quiet since she discovered the castle's library her first day in Arborlon. She read great Elvin stories and even a few human ones, dating from before the Apocalypse. Those books were in a horrible state but the Elvin scholars rewrote them, so she "borrowed" the best copies.

"Oh Eretria…" Amberle smiles, relieved it's nothing more serious, like a traumatic experience in her childhood.

"You'll never embarrass me. _Ever_." The Princess reassures.

"You haven't seen me dance…" Eretria sighs.

Amberle laughs at that. "I don't care. I think you're beautiful, strong and most importantly kind. So who cares about a bunch of old arrogant politicians ?"

"But if they hate me, they'll hate you for bringing me here." The Rover counters sadly.

"This is my home, Eretria. I'll bring whoever I want here." She states forcefully, letting her royalty shine through. "And anyway, I don't mind their disapproval if it means you're there with me."

She continues. "And I need you there. I've changed since everything happened. I can't stand half the people in this castle, and trust me it's not the workers or the guards. It's just, all of this protocol and hierarchy and arguing seems pointless." The Elf sighs.

"The Ellcrys showed you something ?" Eretria inquires, frowning.

"No you and Will did. You showed me what lies beyond these walls, the error of my beliefs about the Elvin and the other races." She faces the Rover and takes her hands in hers. "You showed me what's really important. Not titles or money, or even being a hero. It's the people you love, the people that truly make you happy. They make you who you are. _You_ make me who I am, Eretria." Both women look into each other's eyes, time completely forgotten.

Eretria can't believe what she heard. She means something to the blue-eyed beauty staring at her. She means something to somebody. She _means_ something.

Her heart starts pounding faster as an old urge resurfaces. Her eyes flicker to the taller woman's lips, a move Amberle doesn't miss. The Princess stops breathing and with a newfound courage, she leans down, eyes closed, towards Eretria's lips. The Rover instinctively leans over too and they're about to share their first kiss when a knock on the door interrupts them.

Eretria groans in frustration and opens the door, clearly pissed at whoever's behind, while Amberle tries to compose herself, shocked by what nearly happened.

"What ?!" She hisses at a wide-eyed Will.

"Uh… Hey. Is Amberle here ? Alanon needs to talk to her about her Uncle." He answers in a small voice.

"I'll be right there Will." Amberle moves past the Rover and reaches the door to follow the half-elf. She turns around before shutting it. She isn't sure about anything right now, but catching a glimpse of Eretria's lips again, she's sure of one thing. She really wants to kiss her.

"See you tonight." She winks at the brooding Rover, before leaving the room to meet Alanon.

Eretria is in shock. That was a wink. Amberle just winked at her after they almost kissed.

The brunette smiles at herself, she never expected things to turn out this way. She hoped for a friendship at best, but this might go somewhere after all.

She decides she needs to look extra good tonight, just in case things go that way again. She doesn't want to put pressure on the evening though and risk being disappointed so she figures if things go wrong with Amberle, she might still get laid after a couple of very strong drinks. Nothing better than sad, drunk and bitter sex to get over your potential True love. Right ?

So she drags Dax to the market to help her find something.

"Seriously Eretria ? I'm a Soldier, not a Seamstress." The dark-haired elf huffs.

"I know, but you're the only decent guy I know. Please ! "She uses her puppy dog eyes on him and he chuckles. She won.

"Fine, but only if you promise to stay with me until my fiancé arrives. I've never been to one of those royal parties." Dax compromises.

"You and me both… But deal. I'll need an ally too." They're moving through the stalls towards a dress shop on the market's outskirt.

"An ally ? Should I be preparing for a battle ?" He smirks, proud of his joke.

She shakes her head but keeps an amused smile on. "Oh, man. Why do I keep hanging out with you ?"

"Because I'm awesome." He grins, clearly in a great mood.

She laughs at that. "Right."

They enter the shop, and start going through dresses. Dax shows her ugly, long dresses to mess with her but Eretria takes on the challenge and tries them on in the middle of the shop, in front of a bewildered Dax. He laughs as she successively puts on a puffy purple one, a white long-sleeved bridal dress and a lacy yellow sundress who makes her look like a fourteen year old school girl.

All the other patrons look away, uncomfortable, but they don't care and the owner, a middle-aged Elvin man, is fast asleep so he doesn't kick them out.

They're both having a lot of fun when Dax suddenly stops.

"Hey you told me you wanted to look, and I quote, _hot_. Right ?"

Eretria nods while finishing putting on her boots. "Yeah, why ?"

"I think I found the perfect dress for you." He hands her a tight red dress.

She smirks. "Okay let's see."

She gets in her underwear again, discarding her clothes over the floor, before easily slipping in the dress.

"Wow… Eretria you're beautiful." He grins widely, sincere in his words.

She laughs at his reaction before walking over the tall mirror at the back of the shop.

Her heart stops. She never looked like that before. Of course, she knew she had charms, with a good majority of the rovers, male or female, trying to get with her from the age of fourteen, but she never thought of herself as someone _beautiful_. That was Amberle with her royal grace, her perfect skin, her bright blue eyes and her silky smooth hair. Not even mentioning her super shaped body.

Eretria wasn't all that.

But in this dress, she feels different. It's a tight fiery red dress, made of dyed cotton but covered in lace of the same color. It's shorter than usual, stopping at her mid-thigh, revealing her tanned legs. The dress has only one long sleeve, leaving her right arm and shoulder bare. The neck line is sideways, going from the top of her left shoulder to the top of her right breast.

Eretria loves it. It's not too revealing but keeps it sexy with the length.

"I love it. I'm sure they'll all think I'm a slut or something but I don't care. I'm _hot_ and I love it." She beams excitedly, jumping up to hug Dax.

He laughs and puts his arm around to support her. "You're welcome Tria."

She gets back on her feet and looks at him with wide eyes. "Tria ?! Really ?"

He looks down, suddenly afraid of her reaction. "Sorry, it's just… You call me Dax, so I thought I'd give you a nickname."

"Tria… Tria…." She tests it a couple of times before smiling up at him. "I like it."

He relaxes. "So I'm guessing we're buying this one ?"

"Who said anything about buying ?" Eretria grins mischievously while quickly putting her clothes on again.

"Eretria…" He warns, all playfulness forgotten.

"What ? No more Tria ?" She laughs but seeing his still frowned face she sighs.

"Come on, the guy is _sleeping_. It's practically an invitation to steal !" She pleads with him while an elderly woman frowns at hearing her use the word "steal".

"No. I'm a soldier, I'll have to arrest you. And anyway I want to buy it for you."

She frowns, confused. "Why ?"

"For what you did for the Orphans. I was one of them after my parents died the night the Gnomes attacked. And nobody pays attention to them, not even me, until you arrived. So thank you, you're making a difference in their lives, trust me." His kind eyes turning a bit sad.

Eretria nods, trying to contain her emotion. "Well I'm really happy too. And…" She pauses there, not sure how to proceed. "I'm an orphan too. So if you want to talk, or hit something. I'm here."

He smiles, half-amused, half-touched. "Thanks, same here."

She nods and they go to pay for the dress, grabbing a pair of high black stilettos on the way. Eretria wakes the poor man up by banging on the counter and Dax pays, trying not to laugh too hard at the guy's scared expression.

They part ways in the Silver City, Eretria thanking him again before running to her room. She was supposed to be ready an hour ago so she quickly changes and tries on the heels. They fit but she has a bit of trouble walking in them. And they're really painful on top of that.

She's about to go out her room when she remembers her hair and makeup. Oh no. She doesn't know what to do. After a few moments of panic she decides to go ask Amberle for help. After all she's the reason she's in this mess in the first place.

As she practically reaches Amberle's door, she hears soft crying coming from the room directly facing the Princess's one. She sighs, she's supposed to be nice now or something so she turns around and knocks softly.

A startled blonde woman opens the door. She's about the same age as Eretria. Her blue eyes are puffed up by her crying and her voice is hoarse when she speaks.

"Who are you ?" Clearly she expected someone else.

"My name is Eretria. I heard you crying so I thought I'd see if I could help."

The young woman looks sadly at her. "No, you can't."

She's about to close the door when Eretria puts her stilletoed foot in the way.

"Hey ! Wait ! Maybe you can help me then." The blonde looks at her expectantly so she continues.

"I need help with my hair and makeup for the party. I was going to ask Amberle but I don't want to bother her. Would you mind helping me ?" She asks with a smile.

"You're a friend of Amberle's ?!" The Elf asks wide-eyed.

Eretria nods, still smiling.

After a few seconds, the blonde nods. "Okay, come in, I'll do it. Amberle isn't here." She gestures towards a chair facing a wooden table with a mirror.

The Rover takes place in it, while the blonde gathers things around the room.

"So, what's your name ?" Eretria asks politely.

"Catania, I'm Amberle's handmaiden and friend." The Elf answers matter-of-factly.

"Oh, right. She talked about you." She lied, knowing people loved feeling important.

Catania smiles. "Really ?! I never would've guessed."

"Yeah, she missed you, out in the forest." Eretria piled on. This one was probably true anyway.

"Well, I missed her too." The blonde answers sadly, recalling her loneliness.

Catania starts applying the makeup on Eretria's face. She's going for a red lipstick to match her dress, some basic foundation and blush and an intense smokey eye. She'll blend a bit of gold in it to make the chocolaty eyes brighter.

She was an expert at this, having done it for the Princess since they were young teenagers, so she finished in record time. Then she styled Eretria's hair by putting them on her left shoulder, over the fabric and putting two braids on the other side, their endings meddling with the rest of the hair on her left shoulder.

"So why were you crying ?" Eretria asks abruptly when she's finished.

"My boyfriend killed an innocent guard and vanished, because of me." Catania blurts out, on the verge of tears again.

Eretria is taken aback by the confession but she heard worse. "Well I'm pretty sure you didn't ask him to do it. So it's not your fault."The blonde is about to interrupt but Eretria holds out her hand to stop her.

"Maybe you made a mistake, but you weren't the one killing that guard. So stop beating yourself up about it and that guy. Just move on and live. You're young and from what I've seen kind. So don't let this psycho ruin your life with his terrible choices." She finishes by hugging the other woman, as Amberle would've done. Amberle…

"I really gotta go. Thank you for making me look good." Eretria pulls back with a sincere smile on her lips.

"I just helped a little, your face does that on its own." Catania answers before reddening, embarrassed.

Eretria laughs lightly. "Thanks, see you around !"

Eretria runs off to the Throne room. She passes through the heavy wooden doors, without a squeak from the guards. She suddenly feels very self-conscious as her confident stride, even in heels, brings her to the middle of the room. Everyone is dressed very formally, in long silk dresses and high collars.

They will, indeed, think she's a slut. She starts to go red in the face as all eyes are on her, unsure why.

She looks around for somewhere to go when she feels a hand on her bare shoulder.

She turns around slowly, calming herself down as her well taught instincts would've already punched the person touching her, by habit. She smiles, relieved when she comes face to face with a very handsome Dax. He's wearing a black leather sleeveless top with large shoulder pads, putting his muscled arms in the spotlight, and grey leather pants. He kept his army boots, just like every other soldier at this party.

"Hey ! You're late." He scolds but hugs her anyway, happy she's here.

"Dax, I'm so glad you're here. Everybody is staring." She says, still red in the face.

"That's because they're amazed. And jealous. Thanks to me, you're _hot._ " He smiles cockily but he isn't lying. She smiles and relaxes a bit. She is _hot_ after all.

"You forgot jewelry." He points out with a frown.

Oh no. The Rover starts panicking, when Dax puts his black leather wristband on her right wrist. When they first met, he explained that it's a token of his fearlessness in the battlefield. It had two golden daggers intertwined in a tree embroidered in the leather, representing his bravery and the royal family. She knows its value so she immediately shakes her head and moves to give it back but he puts a hand on hers, stopping her.

"From what I've heard, you deserve one too. And I'll get another one made." He smiles kindly at her.

"Thank you, Dax. I'll give it back." She tells him, touched by his gesture.

"No need." He assures.

They're making fun of the people around them when Eretria spots a table filled with comestibles.

"Food !" The Rover shouts and suddenly darts towards the selection of different pastries, cheese, seafood and meat assortment.

When Dax reaches her, she's already half-filled her plate. He chuckles and grabs two champagne glasses as she finishes. She smiles thankfully at him and they move towards the balcony for fresh air and so Eretria can stuff her face in peace.

"Thanks for bringing me out here, I'm not comfortable with so many people around me." She manages through mouthfuls of cream cake, her absolute favorite.

"No problem, I hate it too. Reminds me of battlefields." Dax confesses.

Eretria nods quietly.

"Can I ask you something ?" He blurts out, brows furrowed.

She nods again, still chewing.

"You don't have to answer but how did your parents die ?" He looks unsure of her response.

She swallows her piece of cake. This one was complicated. She cried a lot when she was younger about her lack of family but she hardened herself through the years and now she was able to talk about it. Well, most of the time.

"My father died at the hands of rovers before I was born and my mother died giving birth. I never knew them." She simply states, a contained sadness in her voice.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to feel less alone. I didn't know it was that bad." He says guiltily.

Eretria smiles at his last comment. "Yeah me neither until recently. Before, I thought they sold me into slavery so…"

He chuckles at that "Man, your life really sucks."

"Sucked." Eretria corrects with a smile and Dax smiles back at her, understanding.

There's a ringing inside the room and Dax stands up abruptly. "Come on, it's Amberle."

Eretria sets her empty plate on a bench and quickly follows Dax. They both move through the crowd until reaching the bottom of the marble stairs.

"What's happening ?" Eretria whispers while grabbing her glass from Dax's hand and taking a large sip.

"Royalty uses a different entrance, so everyone can see them. When they arrive a bell rings so people can gather and watch them walk down the stairs." He explains in a whisper.

Shortly afterwards, an Elvin beauty appears at the top of the stairs at Will's arm. That fact hurt Eretria but she contained herself, focusing on the woman smiling at her.

Amberle was wearing a silk, strapless black long dress, but unlike her peers, hers was open on the side of her leg and it had a plunging neckline, revealing the outline of her chest. Her hair is in a complicated but magnificent up do with very little makeup and one of those extremely large metal necklaces every Elvin woman seems to have at the party.

"She's stunning." Eretria blurts out, in complete awe of the Princess.

"You should tell her." Dax encourages her with a smile.

Will is wearing a simple button up white cotton shirt with brown leather pants. He did tie his hair in a ponytail though.

Suddenly a clearly inebriated guest enters Eretria's personal space. He's a blonde, twenty something elf, probably handsome for most people but Eretria just finds him gross.

"What a gorgeous sight tonight. Bold choice but I love it !" She ignores him and tries to look past him at Amberle's graceful descent on the stairs.

"So is it true what they say about rovers ? You'd do anything for a price ?" He barely whispers in her ear.

"Back off, now." Dax warns him, anger boiling in his normally calm eyes.

"Or what ?" He grabs a handful of Eretria's ass, a devious grin on his features. The Rover smirks before taking his wrist and twisting it painfully until the pervert is on his knees begging for mercy.

"You should've listened. Guards ! Take him away." Amberle appears behind him, gesturing for the guards to take the Elf away.

After all the tension falls, Amberle focuses shyly on Eretria, Will still at her side.

"Hi…"

The young Rover greets her back with a smile.

"You look amazing Amberle." Eretria manages to compliment calmly, like a normal person.

"You're the one who's turning heads tonight." Amberle points out. And she was right, everyone is talking about the Rover. Eretria feels red creep up her cheeks but is saved by Will's comment.

"Well, you have beautiful company, it helps." The half-elf points out, a little bitterness in his tone.

"I'm Daxian by the way." Dax extends his hand and Will shakes it with all his strength making his friends chuckle.

"Will. So you two are together ?" He inquires coolly.

Eretria downright laughs at that.

"No. I have a fiancé. A very late fiancé it seems." Dax points out with a smile.

"Well she should be careful, you're a very popular man with the ladies." Amberle informs them, eliciting another round of laughter from Eretria and a very confused look from Dax.

"She ?" He asks, his eyebrows raised.

"Hey babe, sorry I'm late." A young black Elf comes up to Dax and pecks him on the lips. He's about the same height as him and is built like him, his navy leather jacket hugging his muscles. His hair is short but he doesn't have a beard. He looks incredible, making him and Dax a very attractive couple, and of course, the five of them attract the eyes of everyone in the room.

Eretria nudges Amberle out of her wide-eyed stare and finishes her glass. The Elvin recovers quickly and smiles warmly at the new arrival.

"Hi, I'm Amberle, this is Will and Eretria. Daxian never mentioned you."

"To be fair we didn't exactly catch up. Which we should." Dax answers kindly.

"Well it's nice to meet you all. I'm Jace, in charge of the city's food supply." He smiles politely to all of them. "But if you'll excuse me, I had a stressful day and I'd like to dance with the love of my life now."

They all laugh happily and watch the couple as they start dancing in the middle of the room.

"You could've told me." Amberle rebukes.

"Sorry, I just really wanted this to happen." Eretria laughs thinking about the Princess's embarrassment.

"Well, it's not very nice of you" The Elf retorts, feigning anger.

Eretria stops laughing. "I'm really sorry, I didn't think you'd take it that way." She looks guilty, making Amberle chuckle.

The Rover, realizing what happened, starts laughing too.

"Would you like a drink ?" Amberle asks, noticing the brunette's empty glass.

"Of course, lead the way."

Both girls make their way to the table and take a glass each of champagne, leaving Will to answer the other guests' questions about their epic quest.

They spend the night drinking and talking to one another about light-hearted subjects, like when Eretria rode a horse for the first time and ended up in a swamp or Amberle's favorite paintings around the castle.

Until Will, having stolen the sound system from Utopia and managing to make it work in Arborlon with help from engineers, put some electronic, upbeat music.

The girls start dancing in the middle of the floor, joined by Dax and Jace and a few others, including the King himself.

They lose themselves in the music, moving their bodies in rhythm. Soon enough, between the loud music and the champagne they let themselves go and Eretria closes completely the distance between them. She rests her head on the taller woman's shoulder, resting her hands on her hips, bringing her as close as possible while Amberle wraps her arms around Eretria's back, one hand caressing the bare skin on her shoulder while the other massages slowly the back of her head.

They stay in their peaceful bubble for a while until Amberle suddenly pulls away, feeling the eyes of everyone on them. It's usual for her at these parties, being the Princess and all but she starts to hear the whispers about Eretria, ranging from pure jealousy or lust to demeaning comments. Her blood boils and it's taking everything in her to stop herself from giving everyone a piece of her mind. She steps away from the shorter brunette, who pouts from the lack of contact but frowns at the Princess's angry expression. Amberle takes her hand and leads Eretria across the room and through the doors without a word, ignoring everyone on their way.

Once they're finally out, Amberle lets go and turns around, looking straight into Eretria's puzzled eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm just sick of these people. They're so immature and close-minded…" Amberle groans in frustration.

"Want to go to my room to cool off ?" Eretria offers, scared the Princess will do something she regrets.

"No offense, but your room is seriously small. Let's go to mine." Amberle counter-offers, eliciting a smirk from Eretria.

"Yeah, well I didn't have a choice. Just let me…" The shorter woman becomes a little shorter when she slips out of her high stilettos and starts walking barefoot alongside the Elf, their height difference still barely visible.

"What ?! These things are torture devices." She justifies at Amberle's amused look.

Their hands brush lightly as they walk, sending a spark of warmth into their bodies.

Amberle silently opens her door and enters the room, going straight for the balcony to calm herself down.

Eretria, on the other hand, lingers in the room, trying to find clues to the Princess's past. She doesn't know much about her. Well not enough in her opinion, considering she wants to know absolutely everything.

She picks up a drawing of a beautiful woman holding a baby, a man by her side. They're both smiling happily as they focus on the small sleeping bundle.

"Snooping around I see." Amberle's voice startles her and she puts it back on the desk.

"Sorry. It's just, they remind me of someone. It's like I've seen them before." Eretria rambles on, clearly trying to remember.

Amberle, knowing what picture she's talking about, sighs sadly. "They're my parents. I draw that picture two days ago. The Ellcrys showed me what my mother looked like so I created it."

Eretria nods slowly. "Well she's beautiful. And you're an amazing artist."

"Thanks, come on I want to show you something." Amberle holds out her hand and Eretria takes it with a smile.

"Planning on murdering me ?" The Rover teases, earning herself a small chuckle from the taller brunette.

"It depends if an amazing view of the city gives you a heart attack." She replies playfully as they step on her balcony.

In front of them, beyond a few trees, the city lights illuminate the night scenery. Eretria never saw anything like it, having spent her life in camps and villages, so her jaw literally drops.

"This… is… Wow." The Rover manages through her amazement.

Amberle smiles, satisfied of the effect. Eretria slowly approaches the rail, entranced by such beauty.

"Do you want to get back inside ? It's a little cold at this hour." Amberle offers, seeing the Rover shiver.

Eretria turns around, but instead of walking back inside the room, she grabs Amberle's hips and pulls her firmly closer.

They look at each other for a brief moment, anticipation making the Elf catch her breath, before Eretria finally leans in and catches Amberle's lips with her own, the Elf bringing her hands up to cup Eretria's cheeks as the kiss intensifies. They test each other, while fighting for dominance until finally, Eretria takes control and slips her tongue in the other woman's mouth.

Amberle moans at the new contact and eagerly tastes the Rovers mouth. They kiss heatedly for a few minutes before Amberle guides them in the room, their lips still teasing one another.

Eretria's knees hit the side of the bed, and she smiles devilishly into Amberle's mouth, a second before switching their places and gently pushing the Elf onto the bed. She then proceeds to slip out of her dress, leaving her in her panties. She's definitely not shy and Amberle can't help but stare at her ample chest, heat rising in her body. She's seen the other woman naked at Pykon, but this is different, this is filled with love as well as lust. She admired her then but she's in love with her body now.

"You like ?" Eretria teases, secretly needing reassurance.

Amberle, still speechless, nods. The Rover smiles before straddling her and starts kissing her again while Amberle lets her hands roam free, from grasping her firm ass to caressing the other woman's defined stomach until she reaches her breasts. She tentatively feels them, seemingly unsure of her next moves.

Eretria breaks their kiss to whisper in the Elf's ear. "I'm okay. Go ahead if you want to."

She smiles encouragingly at Amberle and lets out a moan when the Princess starts licking one nipple while playing with the other. Eretria, feeling herself burning higher with each, lick, nip and caress, starts pushing Amberle's straps down.

Once her chest is bare, Eretria pulls back and stands up, bringing Amberle with her. As the Elf stands up, her dress falls to the floor, leaving her in the same state as the other woman, with lacy underwear instead.

They both look at each other, discovering the other woman in a new light.

"You're beautiful" Eretria reassures Amberle, making her smile, before leading her back to the bed.

The Princess lies down while bringing the brunette on top of her, her hands unable to stop touching the other woman's body, her neck, her back, her sides, her breasts.

Eretria gently lets her body press against Amberle's under her, supporting her weight on her elbows, on each side of the Elf's head. They look at each other again, Eretria waiting for Amberle's permission to continue. She nods, a bit scared of this new experience but happy to be discovering it with Eretria. The champagne might have had a hand in her crazed hormones and her heated center, but she found herself secretly fantasizing about this the moment she met the Rover.

Eretria starts placing open-mouthed kisses along the other girl's neck, her jaw, up onto her ear. There she nibbles it, happy to feel the brunette buck her hips against hers, making the Rover go crazy while softly moaning. She decides to push it a little further and gently bites the lobe before sweeping her tongue over the fresh mark to soothe it. As a response, Amberle whimpers loudly and digs her nails in Eretria's back, feeling a surge of arousal across her body.

Eretria comes back to her lips a brief instant, making sure everything's fine before moving down Amberle's smaller but firm chest, trailing kisses along the way. She focuses on one nipple, sucking and licking it gently, while tracing her side with her fingers, eliciting a series of soft moans from Amberle. She lets her hand wander across the hem of Amberle's lacy panties, before stopping to look into her eyes.

Amberle nods, again, knowing how wet she is and how much she needs Eretria there. The Rover smiles, but feels a little pressure. She knows its Amberle's first time with a woman, but it's their first time together too and after imagining this moment for weeks now, she wants it to be perfect.

So she slowly brushes her knuckles over the Elf's heated center, feeling her wetness through the fabric. Amberle shudders at the touch a new wave of arousal hitting her. She really needs release.

"Eretria…" Amberle softly pleads. The Rover understands and removes the piece of undergarment.

Amberle doesn't have time to feel self conscious, as Eretria's tongue quickly traces her folds, licking them softly, teasingly, making the Rover groan in her own pleasure. The sudden contact makes the Princess whimper and she grabs the sheets in an attempt to steady herself.

Tasting the Princess in the most intimate way possible turns Eretria on and she starts rubbing herself against Amberle's leg in an attempt to soothe her aroused sex.

Eretria smiles before moving her tongue to Amberle's clit. She smells amazing and the Rover starts circling the small bud slowly, sucking and gently nipping it, making the Princess buck her hips even more, in search of desperate contact. Eretria understands and smoothly enters a single digit inside her, but the Elf barely feels it as she's already soaking, so the Rover enters a second finger, making her moan loudly. She starts pumping slowly in and out, curling her fingers each time while still teasing her clit with her tongue. Amberle feels her insides building up and meets each thrust with her hips.

They keep the steady rhythm for a while, increasing in speed as Amberle's moans and whimpers start getting louder, but the Princess needs more so she buries her hand in Eretria's hair, gently pushing her to do more.

Eretria, getting the hint, moves up to kiss Amberle while increasing her finger's speed and palming her clit to keep the pressure. She feels Amberle's hands slide her side, sending another jolt of heat to her already very aroused center. Pleasing someone has never pleased her as much in the past.

Suddenly, she feels a hand sneak in her underwear. She breaks the kiss and looks into a panting, but smirking Amberle. The princess abruptly enters two fingers in her folds, the surprise making her moan loudly. She adjusts quickly, being already soaked, and they both please each other at an increased rhythm, their mouths finding each other for heated kisses through their build up.

The Elvin Princess is the first to reach her climax and loses all restraint as she feels her orgasm take over. Amberle screams Eretria's name, her back arched as waves of pleasure take over. The Rover, moaning louder herself, keeps thrusting until the other brunette rides out her orgasm, face flush and panting.

Eretria took on pleasuring herself on Amberle's fingers while she was lost in her climax but the Elf recovers quickly and with one swift move, she exchanges their places. Eretria barely notices as her own pleasure takes over. For a while, Amberle keeps thrusting harder and faster in her, sucking hard on her nipple and making her go wild, until the Elf decides to slide a third finger in her, filling completely the Rover under her.

This new sensation makes Eretria go over the edge and her own orgasm takes over. She's not as vocal as Amberle but she still moans loudly and grabs her around her back bringing their bodies as close as possible. She needs this to hold on to her sanity through the intense pleasure.

The Elf stays with her the whole time, amazed at what she's done and the effect she has on this breathtaking girl.

Eretria comes back to earth, panting, spent and a wild smile spread across her face. The girls settle in the bed, The Rover holding Amberle against her.

"That was incredible." She whispers in the Elf's ear through her labored breathing.

Amberle smiles, agreeing.

"Are you okay ?" The Princess inquires, frowning.

"Yes, of course. I… How are you ?" The Rover stops herself midsentence, not sure she's ready to utter those three words yet.

Amberle looks down, disappointed. She thought she was going to say "I love you". Maybe she was projecting.

"I'm fine, this was amazing." She replies truthfully. This night was everything she expected and more.

Eretria yawns, sleep calling to her.

Amberle catches on and smiles . "Good night Eretria."

"Good night Amberle." She answers, already falling asleep.

The princess soon joins her in the land of Dreams.

 _Eretria is lying on Zora's lap on the dirty ground. The future elf hunter appears to be around sixteen. She's dressed like a rover, leather jacket, pants and booths. She also seems relaxed, without a care in the world. They're alone but human noises are not that far. They're in the middle of a field of some sort._

" _I heard Mala telling Jako she loves him." A younger, maybe fourteen year old, happier Eretria gossips._

" _And what did he say ?" Zora asks, playing with the brunette's braids._

" _That he loves her too. I think I love you." She says nonchalantly._

 _Zora frowns. "Don't." She scolds. "Love won't get you anywhere in this life. It'll only get you killed."_

 _Eretria sits up, hurt evident on her features. "But I care about you."_

" _Well I care about you too. So that makes us close. But love doesn't exist because people can't be trusted. They change and love isn't supposed too. So it doesn't exist." She states matter-of-factly._

 _Eretria frowns, before shrugging. "Fine."_

" _I can still kiss you though. Right ?" She asks, making sure._

 _Zora smirks. "Of course, don't have to be in love for that. It just feels good."_

 _Eretria nods and grabs the older girl's neck, pulling her into a heated kiss._

Amberle wakes up abruptly. She hates the Ellcrys. It had to show her Eretria kissing another woman, and tell her she loves her, on their first night together.

She gets restless and slowly manages out of Eretria's soft arms. The Elf is amazed at the fact she didn't wake her up. On their quest, the Rover tossed and turned and she'd shot up at the smallest sound, daggers ready.

But in Amberle's bed, her slumber seems peaceful and deep. It comforts the Princess as she stands up. She pulls on a robe and grabs charcoal and a piece of paper before making herself comfortable on a bench on her balcony. It's chilly but that dream keeps annoying her so fresh air might help calming her down.

She draws for about an hour into the night, letting her mind guide her hand, not sure of where this is going until it's halfway done. She smiles at her subconscious when she realizes what she's drawing and finishes eagerly. It's a picture of both Amberle and Eretria that night. They're dancing, like they were earlier, a loving gaze passing through them. It's really realistic and Amberle is practically sure the Ellcrys had something to do with it, it's impossible to depict yourself so accurately for an artist.

She shrugs, it doesn't matter. She walks back into her room and hides the picture under her family portrait before disrobing and climbing back to bed with Eretria. This time she circles the other girl's waist, causing a little stir from the Rover, but they both settle down quickly in each other's warmth, Amberle quickly falling back asleep, exhausted by their night together and her first orgasm.

* * *

 **A/N :** This is the first time I've written smut. I tried to keep it simple since its their first time too, maybe it'll get crazier in the future, who knows ?

Anyway this was way harder than I expected and please let me know what you think, I need criticism, good or bad. Hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway.

Also I'm on time ! But I really can't keep these chapters shorter, it's insane. I'll still try though.

Thanks for the review on the last chapter and next one is the aftermath of all this.


	9. Chapter 9 : The aftermath

The sun shines through the open balcony and wakes up the sleeping Princess. She must've forgotten to close it last night. Last night…

Amberle smiles, remembering the night's events. The talking, dancing, kissing and more.

She turns over to tease Eretria's morning hair, but she'll probably still look amazing. She doesn't care about her own appearance with the human brunette anymore. Eretria's seen every part of her, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the love and the hate in her eyes.

But she's greeted by an empty space, cold to the touch. She frowns, why did Eretria leave ?

Maybe she forgot something or had somewhere to be ? Or maybe the Princess did something wrong ?

Or she regrets last night. Amberle's heart falls at that thought, because she didn't regret it, it was the best night of her life. She finally felt alive and safe at the same time, and now she craves feeling like that again.

She blinks her tears away and decides to find the Rover. There's no point in sulking here, she needs answers. So she gets up, dresses in her usual leather corset and pants and quickly does her hair. She ditched the dresses she used to wear, feeling more comfortable in her traveling clothes.

Her first stop is the kitchen, maybe Eretria was just hungry. But the room is only filled with cooks and kitchen boys actively preparing meals for the castle's staff and guests.

She sighs and leaves for the forest. It's the middle of the afternoon so maybe she went to train the Orphans with Daxian.

But as soon as she reaches the clearing, she notices the lack of human cheering the kids. She sighs, discouraged and anxious.

Daxian shortly reaches her, a deep frown plastered on his face.

"Hi Amberle, have you seen Eretria ?" He asks, concerned.

Amberle sighs. "No, I'm actually looking for her."

There's a pause between them before the bulky soldier asks, a teasing smile now on his lips.

"So what happened after you guys left ?"

Amberle can't help but smile as once again she recalls the previous night's events.

"Let's just say, things went well." She blushes.

Daxian chuckles lightly. "Well I'm happy for you. Both of you. And if you find her, can you send her my way ? I need to talk to her."

Amberle nods. "Sure. See you around, Daxian."

"Call me Dax." The soldier smiles before turning around and jogging back to the training kids.

The Princess smiles before walking back to the Silver City to find her Rover. She's about to try her room when she runs into Alanon.

"Amberle, I'm glad I found you." The Druid doesn't even greet her.

"What's going on ?" She asks, worried. Alanon rarely brings good news.

"It's your Uncle. It seems he's trying to find his way again and I think talking to you would be helpful."

"But…" Amberle tries to protest but the Druid cuts her.

"Please, this could be vital for the battle to come." He insists and she doesn't have an answer for that so she lets him guide her to the Throne room. She'll find Eretria after.

She sighs as she faces the familiar wooden doors, Alanon now gone. She nods to the guards who open them for her and she strides in, searching for her Uncle.

"Your Grace ?!" She calls out.

"On the balcony." Ander shouts back and she makes her way to him.

"Please, I'm your Uncle here. You don't have to call me 'Your Grace' unless the Council is around." He tells her warmly and she nods.

"So, Uncle Ander, I hear you're doing better." Amberle starts softly.

He smiles at that. "I take it you talked to Alanon."

She nods sheepishly.

"And here I thought this was a nice visit from my niece." He teases.

"I did mean to talk to you, just the two of us, but with the war coming…" She tries to defend.

He shakes his head. "Don't worry about it." He sits on a bench and she follows him.

"I wasn't myself anyway. I was bitter and angry at the world, at the Ellcrys and Alanon. I just felt lonely. And when you finally came out of that damned tree, you announced another war to come and that you were a target. Let's just say it didn't help." He smiles sadly.

"I'm just tired of losing people but I acted like an idiot, as your friend gently put it."

Amberle smiles at the mention of Eretria.

"Anyway, I'm sorry for my harshness. I lost my brother again that night, the love of my life and you. It was just too much."

"Hey, we all need time to mourn and it's only been two weeks. You had every right to be angry." Amberle assures him kindly.

"Well, I'm the king and I can't act that way. I wasn't ready, and I wasn't meant to be but I am, so I'll do better." He announces confidently.

She smiles, proud of him and hugs him tightly.

"We're all that's left of the Elessedils, Uncle Ander, it's just you and me." She sniffs while letting him go.

He nods at her, understanding passing between them. They need to take care of each other, even more than before. After a few moments, Ander stands up and clears his throat.

"Amberle, I need to talk to you about your Rover friend." He starts awkwardly, looking away.

"Eretria ?! Is she okay ?" She bolts up from the bench, panic rising.

"Yes of course, don't worry. It's just…" He fumbles to find his words. "I've seen the two of you together last night."

Amberle breaths in deeply, she doesn't like where this is going.

"And I have to ask you to cool it off. She's a rover and the Council doesn't trust her. I'm not sure either but I trust you. It's just with the battle ahead, I need everybody united and if people start questioning you…"

"Your authority might be questioned and a division would form in our ranks…" The Princess sighs.

Ander looks at her sympathetically. "I support you, Amberle. And if she makes you happy, then I'm fine with it. It's just now is not the time. Do you understand ?"

She nods, tears in her eyes. "Can I go ?"

"Of course, I'm so sorry." He apologizes for what he just asked her to do.

Amberle leaves the throne room in a rush, wiping tears from her eyes along the way.

This isn't fair. She has to tell Eretria she can't be with her for now. They can't even sneak around in case they get caught by anybody. In any other situation she would've fought anyone telling her she can't be with her Rover, but her Uncle's authority isn't steady enough for any waves. She heard what happened when he took the throne, how he was imprisoned and had to be rescued by her father's murderer. She still doesn't know how she feels about that.

She feels exhausted from all the pressure. Sure, she wanted to protect and save her people, still does, but she can't keep sacrificing. First she left Eretria to die, then she gave her own life to protect everyone else and now, she has to let the one person she can't live without go because of her people's stubbornness.

Still, she'll do what's right for everyone, even if it doesn't include her, there's no point in arguing with herself anymore.

She sighs and looks around. Her feet brought her to the training ground. She likes her subconscious, maybe whacking a wooden mannequin will clear her head. She unsheathes her sword and is about to slam on the dummies' side when a glimpse of orange hits her vision.

There's only one person who would wear orange in the Silver City, and that's Eretria. She quickly puts her sword away and searches around for the Rover. It doesn't take long to find her again as she's exiting the training ground and leaving towards the market. Amberle decides to follow her, trying to be stealthy but Eretria notices her as soon as she passes the heavy metal gates.

The Rover smirks and changes her destination. She was going to get a drink in the city tavern but, now is as good as ever to talk to the Princess. She has a lot on her chest and she needs to say it out loud. So she makes a sharp turn towards the stables, knowing they would be empty at this time of day.

She woke up that morning trapped between the arms of a slumbering Elvin princess, a pleasant ache through her body, reminding her of the previous night. She grinned happily at the fuzzy memories, although she wishes she hadn't drunk on their first night together, she doesn't regret a second of it. Last night was the first time she ever felt appreciated, known and accepted but most of all truly and unconditionally loved.

That thought made her silently gasp and her eyes water, she never experienced that warm and safe feeling spreading through her chest, filling her heart with a new sensation, making her feel lighter than air, like she could float away to the stars, uncaring of anything as long as Amberle was floating with her. But that's the thing, would she ?

This was dangerous. What would happen if Amberle didn't want her now that the champagne was out of her system ? What if the Princess just wanted to try something new and the second she comes back to reality, she pushes her away.

Eretria didn't want to think about it, but this new fear wouldn't let her settle into the sleeping Princess's embrace and she became restless, her tears never falling before disappearing again. She couldn't lie still anymore, panic rising at the prospect of another disappointment, this one greater than any other she experienced.

So she extracted herself from the Elvin's grip and stood from the bed. She quickly found her discarded dress and slipped back into it, not bothering with underwear since she was just two doors down. Once she gathered all her bearings she went for the door, but she stopped right in front of it and turned around.

She needed to properly see her Princess one last time, and her eyes became glassy again at the breathtaking vision. Amberle was still lying on her side, facing Eretria, but the silk sheet was pushed away to her waist, showing her bare chest. The sun was peeking through the balcony window, making her shine. Her chestnut mess of hair was sprawled out on her pillow and she looked so peaceful, unlike her constant frown on their quest.

She wiped away a stray tear on her cheek before turning away and leaving this magical room where the only dream she ever had came true. She quickly got dressed and headed down to eat something. She then proceeded to go throw some knives at unsuspecting trees in the forest. She needed to get rid of her restlessness and clear her head.

She loved once before, Zora, and that ended in disappointment and pain. She cared so much for the Hunter, they were each other's families, always there to pick up one another and move on to the next day.

But now, with Amberle, it's different. Now she understands the passion and the fierceness of those love stories, she can't think of anything as powerful as this. Sure they despised each other at first, but that was more an automatic reaction to their different status. But once they moved pass that, Eretria has never been as happy as when she is around the complicated Elvin royal.

Eretria spent hours in the forest and then on the training ground, tiring herself physically to avoid her own thoughts, but for some reason, she couldn't.

She cursed the Princess a few times for not giving her a moment's reprieve, occupying the forefront of her mind when she should be thinking about ways to effectively dismantle a straw dummy, until finally she sheathed her daggers, accepting the undeniable truth.

At the end of day, she can't run from Amberle. Even though she's terrified of being rejected by the one person she cares about in her useless life, she wouldn't be able to keep on going not knowing if she threw away her one shot at happiness. Because Eretria knows, that this is it.

So she sighs, feeling the weight of her doubts leave her, before smiling at her new determination. She knows what she has to do, but she's going to need a drink first.

They arrive in front of the stables, leaving Amberle a little confused. Why would Eretria want to ride ? The sun is starting to set, it's not ideal. But she enters the wooden barrack anyway, finding it empty, as expected. Eretria is silently petting her horse's nose, Zora, whispering in her ears, a smile on her face.

"You really need to work on your discretion, Princess." The Rover says loudly, a smirk on her features.

Amberle shakes her head, of course she spotted her.

"Well I'm neither a scout, a hunter or a rover." The Princess replies matter-of-factly, hiding her jealousy over the other brunette's skill.

"That's for sure." Eretria walks back up to the stable's entrance, stopping short of Amberle's personal space.

"Hey."The Rover's playful smirk turns into a warm smile.

"Hey."Amberle greets back, a shy smile playing on her own lips. Why does she feel like a school girl talking to her crush ? Oh yeah, talking with the woman she's in love with.

The blue-eyed brunette shakes her head, this isn't the time. She frowns and tries to muster all her royal regal before taking a deep breath. She's about to start explaining to Eretria how they can't be together for now but she's interrupted by the Rover's wavering voice. Is she nervous ?

"I have something to tell you. Hum…" Eretria starts, looking down at her shoes. She's never been this afraid before but this moment will change everything. Who knew battling trolls would be easier than confessing your feelings to the girl you love ? "And please don't interrupt until I'm done. I won't be able to finish if not."

Amberle starts to panic internally, is Eretria going to tell her last night was a mistake ? Is she going to ask her to stay friends ? Will she even want to stay friends ?

"I… like you, Amberle." _Like ?! Seriously Eretria ?! You were about to tell her you loved her last night._ "And last night was amazing." The Rover relaxes a little, the memory finally bringing her dashing smile back. "What I'm trying to say is I'd like to spend more time with you. And kiss you. And just be with you I guess." She finishes lamely before taking a breath, she's not even sure she's making any sense. "I would like us to be more than friends because when I'm with you, I forget that I'm a rover and you're an Elvin princess. I just feel like I belong and… for the first time I can remember, I'm happy, actually happy, when we spend time together."

She looks intensely into Amberle's eyes, noticing for the first time the pained look in those clear blue eyes, now shining with tears threatening to fall.

"I'm sorry, Eretria, but…" The Princess starts, struggling with her words for the first time in her life. This amazing girl, who she can actually admit to herself, she loves, feels the same way about her. She can kiss her right here, right now, just like last night. They can share the rest of their lives together, making each other stronger and their pain bearable. She can finally have someone who will always be honest with her no matter what and who she can share her most precious thoughts without fear of judgment.

So how can she tell her that they can't be together ? How can she explain that this isn't because of her, when the Rover spent her life getting rejected, beaten and used for only existing ?

"Oh…" Eretria frowns and takes a step back. It's like she's been stabbed in her chest, Amberle doesn't want to be with her. Those pleading blue eyes, those beautiful eyes, they're trying to tell her something but she can't understand. Her mind is stuck on that simple notion. Amberle doesn't want her. She slowly backs away further, her eyes still wide with shock but slowly filling with the pain settling in her chest.

"I should go." She states firmly, trying to mask her desperation with anger.

"Eretria, please wait, I can explain." Amberle pleads, her voice wet with emotion, but it's too late, the human is already halfway out the door, ready to bolt.

"No it's fine I get it. I'll see you around." She half-runs, not even sparing a glance back to where she left the Princess. She needs to put as much distance between them as possible.

Amberle watches her go, unable to follow her, her legs won't move. They're numb just like her mind right now. What has she done ? She tried to explain everything to Eretria, but she hadn't found words. Why did she decide to become a fumbling idiot the moment she needed words the most ? But there weren't any to describe this. To describe her love for this Rover and make her believe her when she needed to end things before they even started. The weight of what happened hits her, what has she done ? She killed their chance at happiness before they even tried. And even if she had words, she knows Eretria would still have been in pain. She wouldn't have understood that this was temporary. She would've believed this was Amberle trying to let her down nicely. She thinks so poorly of herself, it's heartbreaking.

But no more, Amberle swears to herself that even though they can't be together right now, one day they will, and until then, she'll do anything to show Eretria just how amazing she really is. She's going to show her what she sees when she looks at her and make her feel loved, even if it isn't romantically just yet. Their story isn't over, not to her anyway.

The Elvin brunette gathers herself, wiping her tears away as she walks back to the Silver City, a new determination in her step. She goes straight to the kitchen to finally eat something and take care of a few things before an early night. Tomorrow, she's going to start mending the bridge between them and once this war is over, no one will stop her from being with her Rover again. They are meant to be, that much is clear.

Eretria is currently throwing up in the alley behind the tavern, having drunk an entire bottle of something called "Jack Daniels" on her own. It burned her throat and had a honey aftertaste which was supposed to make her forget Amberle. It didn't.

She still feels the pain in her heart. Or maybe she's just sick from the booze. Who knows ?

She wipes her mouth with the corner of her shirt before stumbling back inside the tavern. Only her path is blocked by some rough looking elf, a malicious glint in his eyes.

"How you're doing little rover ?" He asks sweetly, stepping in her personal space.

She would've laughed at him, but right now, she's coming down from her high and badly needs a refill, so she finds him more irritating than anything else.

"Fuck off…I'm busy" She manages without slurring too much. It seems emptying your stomach's content and encountering an annoying Elvin thug does wonders to sober you up.

He laughs at her answer, clearly not seeing her as a threat.

"Busy drinking yourself to death ? I watched you drink that bottle by yourself, I'm impressed you're still standing."

"You're such a creep." She points out, a disgusted look on her face. "Now get out of my way."

"Not so fast, see your kind killed my brother, I figure pay back is in order." He lowers his voice dangerously before roughly pushing her back in the alley.

She stumbles backwards, still fairly inebriated, but regains her balance as pure rage washes over her. So he thinks because some rovers killed his brother she should pay ? Like they're all the same ? Her specialty was trolls, not elves . And anyway, fuck him. She's done with the Elves shit for one night, she won't take it.

She lifts her head up, finally looking at his face for the first time. He has brown hair, quite the beard covering half his face and dark green eyes. But what stroke Eretria the most was the horrible scar going across his face. The man has suffered getting it, the Rover knew. That physical pain combined with the loss of a family member, Eretria could nearly feel sorry for him, nearly.

Instead she jumped, head butting the smile off his face as he reels back, clenching his bleeding nose. She feels a little dizzy at the contact but can't feel any pain, probably the alcohol consumed. So she quickly moves forward, bringing up her knee in his most sensitive place, sending him on his knees.

"Eretria…" Daxian appears out of nowhere and puts a hand on her shoulder.

The Rover flinches away from his touch, snarling at him, still blinded by her fury. It takes her a few seconds to relax out of her defensive stance towards Dax, the soldier waiting patiently for her to come back.

"You better stay away from her, next time you try anything, if you're still alive, I'll arrest you." He states with controlled authority, although Eretria saw clear anger in his forest green eyes.

The bearded elf nods reluctantly before gathering himself and running down the alley. Well more like limp quickly down the alley.

She wasn't done with her pseudo-attacker but the look on Dax's face told her she shouldn't push it. They both silently enter the tavern once more before slumping on their previous seats.

"Feeling better ?" Catania inquired happily. She too was drunk, having tried to follow the alcohol enthusiast rover.

After practically running away from Amberle, Eretria hid behind a stall at the edge of the market and sat crouched there for a couple of hours. She needed time to gather her emotions. At the end of her intense thinking, punctuated by a few tears, she was left with rage in her heart. At Amberle for leading her on like that but mostly at herself for letting herself hope for a better future.

That's when Catania, her blond Elvin neighbour, approached her. Amberle's handmaiden looked tired and even more tortured than before, so Eretria indulged in her need of company. But if she was to spend the night hearing about the girl's crazy ex-boyfriend, she would need moral support. So she went to the soldier's barracks and practically kidnapped Dax, who only came to keep an eye on the Rover.

They ended up eating and drinking at the city's tavern, Eretria trying her best to forget about anything Amberle related while half-listening to Catania's rambling and pouring shot after shot for the trio until finally she was the only one left drinking, her own bottle, and getting sick.

"Yup, feeling a whole lot better Catania, thanks for your concern." She flashes the flustered blond her most charming smile under Dax's disapproving glare.

"What ?!" She turns, not appreciating the judgment in his features. She didn't even mean to flirt with the girl all night, it just happened. But even if she did it on purpose she's free to do whatever she wants, thanks to Amberle herself.

"What about Amberle ?" He asks a little angry. Eretria still hasn't told him anything about her sudden need to drink herself to death. They used to drink together after a long day and they would occasionally get a little drunk, but this felt wrong. The brunette was clearly trying to forget something painful.

The Rover orders three new shots before answering, a sad smile gracing her lips. "She's… Hum… She doesn't want to be with me… So… I'm single, cheers to that !" She lifts the shot glass right out of the waiter's tray and downs it, ordering another round in the process.

Her companions down their own drinks feeling a little better after their pause. But Dax frowns.

"What happened ? She seemed fine earlier when she was looking for you. By the way you missed training, next time I'll replace you. These kids deserve better than to be let down."He scolds. He wouldn't do that but he has a point and Eretria feels a little guilty, something she isn't used to.

"It won't happen again. I'll apologize to the kids tomorrow. Did they do ok ?" She asks, smiling at the thought of the little creatures running around happily.

"Don't try to change the subject, Eretria, what about Amberle ?" He insists, downing his second shot.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it. I made a stupid mistake." She pauses for a while before adding, suddenly looking much younger than her eighteen year old self. "I just don't understand how I thought someone so pure would love someone as irrelevant as me."

"Oh, Eretria…" Catania smiles sadly at her, a mix of pity and sympathy in her eyes. Eretria feels like throwing up at that look. She used to get it when she begged in villages for Cephelo as a little girl. It was a scam at the time, although not that far off the truth, but still. Now it's real, she's being pitied. And it doesn't feel great. Her spirits are down again when Dax intervenes.

"Well she's an idiot, you're anything but irrelevant, Tria. I thought you said she was the most intelligent girl you ever met ?" He smirks, his eyes reflecting nothing but understanding and something else… Something she never saw before. Could it be fondness ?

"Did you just call a royal an idiot ?" Catania gasps.

"Yes, and I stand by my comment. Royal or not, anyone who lets a girl like Eretria go is either a fool or an idiot. Amberle doesn't strike me as a fool, so idiot it is." He keeps a straight face but the playfulness in his eyes betrays him.

Anyway Eretria is touched by the fact he's risking his career just to make her feel better, no one's ever done anything like that for her. Even if they wanted to seduce her, they wouldn't go that far, not for her. And anyway seeing as how Dax is very much in love with his fiancé, she's sure this doesn't have an ulterior motive.

She feels tears threatening to fall and decides on a toast instead. So she lifts her glass and clears her throat.

"Thanks, guys. You don't know how much you being here with me tonight, means. Thank you." It was more for Dax, but she did appreciate Catania's drunken support.

They down their drinks, and then several others before calling it a night and making their way back to the Silver City.

Dax insists on making sure they are both safely back in their rooms, although by the time they arrive at the castle's grand entrance, he can barely keep himself up. So Lady Eretria steps in.

"Would you mind carrying him back to the barracks ? I wouldn't want him to fall down the stairs." She says regally, probably a little too much considering the amount of alcohol going through her system.

"It's not part of the job, my Lady." One of the guards respectfully answers.

At that Rover Eretria comes back in full force and she glares at him murderously, her hand brushing the handle of her dagger.

The second guard swallows loudly before silently grabbing a hold of Dax's arm and helping him back down the stairs.

"Good." She nods before passing by the remaining guard with a chuckling Catania trailing behind her. They make their way through the corridors and staircases while singing loudly and skipping or dancing on their path. They completely ignore the angry looks they get and keep on laughing until they arrive in front of Catania's doors.

"Thank you for tonight. I really had a good time." The blonde states, half-asleep already.

"Yeah me too. Good night Catania." Eretria replies sincerely, a smile tugging at her lips. This wasn't the best night of her life, and she still is heartbroken and angry, but she does have a couple of people who care. That's something in this world.

The drunken Elf pulls her into a tight hug before releasing her abruptly and crashing face first on her bed.

Eretria chuckles and closes the door before stumbling a little to her own. As she enters, she notices a figure slouched on her bed and recognizes it immediately. She groans to signal her presence.

The half-elf looks up and smiles sheepishly.

"Hey, Eretria. Can I talk with you ?" Will asks politely.

"Sure but make it quick." Eretria grumbles while sliding her jacket off and tossing it in a corner.

"It's about Amberle." He starts, frowning. He seems really bothered. Well so is she.

The Rover huffs, frustrated. "Why is it always about her, huh ?"

She knows she must sound jealous to him but she couldn't care less. She doesn't want to talk about her, yet somehow she always ends up being the center of the conversation.

"Uh… I don't know. Look I was wondering if you know why she rejected me the other day after Council. I mean I don't get it, we're supposed to be together." He asks desperately.

Eretria shakes her head while getting rid of her shirt. "Yeah I thought so too." She knows he thinks she's talking about him, but really she believed her and the Princess were supposed to be together too. She guesses they were both wrong.

She finally truly looks at him. He looks so heartbroken and confused. Maybe she looks like that too. Suddenly she feels a wave of sympathy for the guy who's going through the same pain as her, although she's pretty sure she lost her True love. Him ? A crush that'll surely pass the moment he meets the right one.

But for now, they share that pain caused by the same person and suddenly, she doesn't want to feel lonely anymore. Deep down she knows this isn't right, she's heartbroken and drunk but she wants to feel wanted by someone. Maybe he'll want her ?

Will looks up at her right as she takes off her pants and stands up. "Hey, I can leave if you want to get to bed, I know it's late."

"Not that late." She stalks towards him, closing the space between them while tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"Hey… What are you doing ?" He asks, surprised by the sudden shift in her behavior.

She manages to get his shirt off before answering in a sultry voice. "Undressing you."

"I can see that. But why ?" He frowns and she sighs.

"Look, she doesn't want you, I do. And I need you, Will. In that way." She seals her plea with a passionate kiss, trying to communicate her need through it, but he quickly pulls away.

"Eretria… are you sure this is what you want ?" He asks one last time but he's already starting to bring her closer, one arm circling her back while the other tugs her by the hip.

No she wasn't sure, but she didn't care she just wanted to feel something other than heartache. As far as her experience goes, meaningless sex is the way to go to forget about someone. She did it after abandoning Zora. It worked, right ?

"Yes… Please shut up." She kisses him again and this time he doesn't pull away, failing to acknowledge the alcohol on her breath.

* * *

A/N : Hey guys ! First of all so sorry for the delay, things have been a little rough lately. I'm not gonna go into details, life just sucks sometimes.

This chapter is horrendous and I need to apologize for it, but I really wanted to post something after such a long wait. I'll correct it tomorrow (it's 4.30 am) and possibly rewrite it, if I do I'll put it at the beginning of the next chapter.

I'm also going to go over every chapter this weekend and try to correct any mistakes I see.

Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows. It really makes me so happy so please keep it coming, it's such a motivator !

Finally please don't hate me for breaking our favorite ship… things will get better I promise, but you know, drama… ^^ and if you want a full smut scene between Will and Eretria, let me know and I'll do it, it's just doesn't inspire me much so I left it there.

Next chapter : The battle is finally here, who's going to survive ? (Don't worry no one dies, I'm not that cruel… Or am I ? :D)


	10. Chapter 10 : Turmoil

**TW :** Violence and maybe a bit gory for some people.

* * *

Amberle's rushing around her room, managing to get dressed and gather her weapons at the same time. Once it's done, she stops in front of her mirror to hastily tie her hair out of her face and proudly put on her purple cloak. It became a comforting piece of clothing, making her feel a little safer on her quest. She takes one last look at herself before taking a deep breath and running out the door, sword in hand. Only five minutes ago she was soundly asleep, safe in the arms of the dream version of a certain brunette. That is until the loud bells atop the Silver City started ringing, waking Arborlon and alerting everybody that the time has come. The enemy is at their doors.

They finally decided to attack the Elvin capital, and the King let them. They think it's a surprise but as Amberle reaches Eretria's door she knows that the population is being evacuated through the tunnels and the soldiers are gathering to the City's East Gate and across the walls. They weren't there before but after the demon's attack, Ander decided the capital needed to be better protected so now the East and West sides of the City are closed by tall stone walls, with guards patrolling on top.

Amberle, Eretria, Will and Alanon were to gather in the Sanctuary, making sure Amberle stays safe until the end of the battle. There was a secret passageway the Princess remembers from sneaking in with Lorin and she can use it to escape through the Gardens of Life. She can easily climb a tree and get on top the wall before jumping on the other side and sliding to a boat on standby. It would probably hurt but that's her escape plan if everything else fails.

The blue eyed brunette takes another deep breath before knocking on the Rover's door. Last time they saw each other, Eretria was heartbroken and clearly running away from her, so she doesn't know what to expect now that a few hours have passed. It's still dark out, but she feels rested so she guesses it's not that far from dawn.

"Give me a minute." The still half asleep Rover groans loudly.

"It's me, can I come in ?" Amberle tries shyly. There's a good chance she'll get rejected.

She hears a muffled "shit" and a whispered "get up" before the sound of people frantically moving around reach her. _People_. She frowns, her instincts tell her something's wrong so she abruptly opens the door. And just like that, she feels the air being knocked out of her lungs.

In front of her is a panicked looking Will, only in underwear, quickly gathering the rest of his clothes and Eretria, missing her shirt but other than that she's practically ready. The Rover puts on a long sleeved grey shirt before finally realizing Amberle is watching them. Will also looks up and the three of them look at each other silently for a few seconds, the Elvin brunette trying to piece out what happened and the other two scared to explain it.

The Princess is the first to recover from shock and quickly scolds her face, putting on a mask of confidence. But she can't hide the disgust on her features, making her look arrogant, reminding Eretria of when she looked at her in the Dungeons, before she was forced into the quest. She hated that look.

"We need to get to the Sanctuary, _now_." Amberle manages through her anger. After everything they've been through she just sleeps with Will again. That's the first thing she does ? Sure she was clearly hurt but, their night together didn't mean anything to the human ?

The Rover also comes back to her senses at the angry tone and just shrugs. She did nothing wrong here. Amberle has absolutely no right to be mad at her. _She_ 's the mad one here.

But somehow, she just feels guilt and pain. This blue-eyed elf is making her soft.

Well no more, after tonight she'll leave the City and never come back. Amberle is the reason she stayed in the first place, but she doesn't want her, so she has no reason to stay. Dax will go back to his boring soldier life and his great fiancé. He'll keep training the orphans and caring for them, and Catania, well she'll move on. She doesn't need Eretria for that.

As for Will, he'll be fine with Amberle, the two can live happily ever after. She'll leave blood in vials for emergencies and go find a place where she truly belongs. If it exists she'll find it.

"I need to check up on the kids first but I'll meet you all there." She puts on her jacket while saying this and slips her throwing knives in her boot.

"That's not the plan." Amberle counters with authority. "And they've been evacuated in the tunnels already."

"See, in my, experience, as long as you haven't seen it, it's not real." Eretria shots back, now gathering her two daggers and walking towards Amberle. She doesn't touch her hair as she can still feel the tight braids on her head's left and that's all she cares about when it comes to her looks.

The Princess frowns at her approach but lets her pass anyway.

"Get dressed and meet us at the Sanctuary. These aren't demons Will, and you can't properly fight, so don't go out there." She orders a still immobilized Will. He seems to come back to earth at that and nods sheepishly, pulling his pants on.

She glares one last time at him before leaving the room and running after Eretria.

She finally catches up with the Rover at the bottom of the staircase. The castle is completely deserted, the servants and politicians have been evacuated while the King and the Home Guard have moved to the command center occupying the _Priom Mor_ , a vast circular area in the middle of the city connecting the Silver City in the north, the market forming a band from the East to the West gates and the residential part of the city situated on the south half. It's what Eretria called a "very big empty square".

Ander insisted on leading the fight, ignoring Alanon and Amberle's pleas for caution.

They walk silently together, a feeling of dread filling them. As soon as they set foot outside, they can hear the shouts and clinking of metal, guessing something went wrong with the plan. The army was supposed to stop the fanatics at the East Gate, leaving a dozen soldiers covering the West Gate that leads only to the stairs to access the port on the river bank since the scouts haven't found any ships near the cult's army. The north and south sides are protected by high and dangerous mountains, making Arborlon one of the safest places in the Four Lands. Or so they believe.

Once they reach the heavy metal doors separating them from the short road to the command center, the Rover decides to break the silence.

"I just need to make sure." Eretria justifies.

"I understand, let's go." Amberle answers harshly. She didn't mean for it to come out that way, she truly understands the other girl's need but she's just so angry.

Eretria is a little hurt by Amberle's harshness but she brushes it off. Now is not the time to get emotional. She sighs and opens the gate.

Or try would be more accurate. It's locked. The Rover tries again a few more times, getting angrier at each attempt.

"What the …?" Eretria groans before being unceremoniously pushed to the side.

Amberle tries gently, but it still doesn't work, eliciting a barely contained smirk from the Rover.

The Princess throws her arms in the air, frustrated. "We don't have time for this."

"I do. Go to the Ellcrys if you want, I don't need you." Eretria suddenly bursts out, unaware of how angry she is, before covering it up by searching for another way through.

Her emotions are all over the place and she doesn't know what to feel anymore. She's a lost mess and she just wants to run as far as possible. She would have, before meeting the Elvin beauty, but now she doesn't recognize herself and she's scared. She's scared of easy it was for her to care for Amberle. And she still cares, in spite of her broken heart. She hates feeling this weak, this dependant on the Princess. And a part of her refuses to accept it, denies the simple truth that Eretria _needs_ Amberle, because then the rejection would hurt too much.

Amberle doesn't pick up on Eretria's tone and scoffs. "Yeah, right. Like you'd find your way around the city without me."

Eretria glares at her for a brief second but doesn't answer. She does have a point. She knows how to get to the tavern and the stables but that's it. The rest of the time she was with somebody else showing her the way.

"I'm pretty sure we could get past the Soldier's gate, it's probably unlocked since it's on the east side and most likely under battle." The Princess offers.

A smaller white wall separates the Market from the Silver City with the Garden's of Life on its west and the Soldier's quarters on its east behind it. Eretria usually uses the Soldier's gate to get to the market, it's smaller and attracts less attention than the other two when it's opened.

"Fine, let's go." Eretria grumbles.

The silence settles in again, as both women make their way along the wall, listening to the intense battle on the other side. They reach the gate and can feel themselves growing restless as they anticipate the carnage on the other side.

Eretria abruptly turns to Amberle, a hard edge to her features. This is "battle Eretria" and Amberle can't help but admire the way she focuses in an instant, turning from an annoying, teasing and sometimes carefree eighteen year old girl to a ruthless and precise killing machine.

"Once we pass the gates, we stick together. We run and try to stop as little as possible. Take the lead, and again try not to stop. Got it ?" The Rover whispers forcefully.

Amberle simply nods and they take off, finally entering battle. She isn't used to battle but she knows how to fight and although she believes in words and diplomacy, lately she does enjoy a good fight.

She rounds the corner and takes a breath, ready to spill blood to reach their goal.

It's not as bad as she thought, the fanatics are recognizable by their red burning tree on their black armors. It's a bit cliché, like the demons.

They're all engaged in battle with the Elvin army and she spots a path between the empty merchant's stalls to the command center, it's not that far and as instructed, she takes the lead. Eretria crouches down and tugs at the Princess's arm to make her do the same, before following closely.

They make their way discreetly, the Rover stopping her from behind, or directing her to a better hidden stall when necessary, successfully avoiding engaging into fights.

Unfortunately their luck runs out when four fanatics, two trolls and two elves block the rest of their path looking for something, so they have to swiftly move to the Eastern main road, connecting the East gate to the _Priom Mor_. Eretria thinks it's called _Galaphile's Road_ but she can't really remember, she didn't pay that much attention. She crosses the road with as much stealth as possible, deciding to complete the last part under the tall building's shadow.

South of the road is the residential part of Arborlon. It's for the common elves, but Eretria is pretty sure they don't see themselves as common across the Four Lands, despising everyone who isn't an elf. But she has to admit she'd like to see what a normal Elf life looks like. She could ask Amberle, whose crouching slowly on the other side of the road, refusing to cross and putting distance between them, but it's not like a princess would know, would she ? Would she even talk to her after the chaos ?

The Rover is torn out of her thoughts when a troll steps on her path, bloody blade in hand and snarling madly at her. Guess she wasn't that discreet after all. She smiles wickedly, letting her anger fuel her but remaining focused on everything surrounding her. She spots Amberle in her line of vision trying to sneak on the troll's back, failing to see the black armored Elf approaching her from the side, also a mad look in his eyes.

Eretria doesn't dwell on it though, it's not the time, later if she's still alive, she'll ask about their eyes. She abruptly rolls on her side, letting go of her right dagger to pull a knife from her boot. The moment she's up again she throws it in Amberle's direction, missing her head by a few inches before lodging itself in the elf's shoulder, making him falter in his attack.

Amberle is shocked for a second, did Eretria throw a knife at her face ? She's upset but that's just insane. She missed though, and the Rover doesn't miss, so she swiftly turns around, half hoping someone is behind her to confirm Eretria is still sane. She smirks when she comes face to face with a dark armored Elf, pulling the knife out and throwing it away like it's nothing. Amberle's face falls, this one is going to be though, but she lifts her father's sword proudly and starts circling the Elf.

Eretria smiles and manages to pick up her dagger before the troll charges her. She side steps him, and keeps evading his forceful attacks in the hopes an opening appears. Both girls fight off their opponents for a while, parrying, evading and landing a few good blows. But their opponents don't seem to feel pain which makes the fight harder, each success seemingly useless. Eretria is starting to grow irritated but she tries to remain patient, a trait she knows she doesn't exactly possess.

"How could you, Eretria ?"

The shorter brunette is startled out of her focus by Amberle's angry question. She narrowly avoids getting impaled before answering, a little confused. "How could I what ?"

"Sleep with Will ?" The Princess keeps her opponent at bay, her voice not betraying the hurt she feels.

"Well…" Eretria starts but she cuts herself when the troll starts gaining advantage. She lets him back her into a corner before evading him once more, letting herself breathe a little. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"None of my business" Amberle repeats disbelievingly. "So what we have doesn't matter to you ?" She presses on with anger finally properly attacking the Elf. The rage boiling up in her strengthens her arm and after a couple of well placed blows, she drives her blade between the dark plates on the man's stomach. He goes down without a sound and she turns around to properly face the Rover.

"We don't have anything, thanks to you." She accusingly states before simultaneously plunging her daggers into both the kneeling troll's eyes, leaving two empty sockets bleeding profusely. He didn't make a sound.

When the Princess got the better of her opponent, Eretria managed to slice the troll's thigh, although he didn't seem to care, and sweep his other leg from under him, sending him to the ground. She picked herself up faster and quickly placed herself behind him before executing the fanatic.

She wipes her blades on the troll's shoulders before kicking him to the ground, letting him bleed out on the pavement. Amberle frowns at the harsh answer.

"We slept together Eretria, and it was amazing and beautiful and I know you opened up to me that night and that makes it something… We have something." Amberle insists, not too sure where she's going with this. It's a little confusing but she knows that the Rover is important to her and she expected more. She expected her to cherish their night together as much as she does, because they let each other see hidden parts of them, but instead Eretria goes off and does the same with Will of all people. And yes she was the one to put a premature end to their relationship, but that doesn't mean she just forgets their connection.

Eretria frowns and enters Amberle's personal space.

"No you don't get it. I didn't just open up to you, I trusted you, I trusted that you wouldn't hurt me if I showed you who I am. If I showed you how damaged I am and how much I care for you. I was able to be vulnerable around you and I trusted you wouldn't take advantage of that. I trusted that you weren't just in it for… What ? A bit of rebellion ?"

She ends up half-yelling at the Princess, her emotions getting the better of her.

Amberle's a little taken aback by the girl's confession, but she refuses to let the guilt seep through and quickly recovers. "No, of course not. But with him ?!"

The Rover sighs loudly. Why is she so hung up on him ? She thought they were over. It's not her problem anyway. She turns towards the command center and starts walking quickly, they don't have time for this and they need to take advantage of the clear path.

"What do you want me to say ? I was drunk, and he was there, and I guess I felt…" She pauses there searching for the right word before making a face. "Sympathetic to him ?

"Seriously Eretria ?! That's you're excuse for sleeping with Will ?" The Princess followed her, but she's growing more and more exasperated by the Rover's answers. Except for that genuine confession but she can't process it right now. Maybe she underestimated the pain she'd cause Eretria ? Maybe she made a mistake after all. No she did what was right. The Rover will understand once she listens.

"I don't need any, I do what I want." The shorter brunette replies a little childishly.

Amberle groans in frustration. "Fine, keep doing that."

They finally reach the Priom Mor. They turn around and can see the battle raging behind them, but it's impossible to see who's winning. If Eretria was in charge she'd place archers on the rooftops to support the ground soldiers but mostly to have a better view of what's going on. It seems they were too confident. Shocker.

The area serving as Command center and emergency hospital is heavily guarded by all the Home Guards, a little too many for Amberle's taste. Half of them would be enough and they'd be better used on the field.

At their approach, the guards let them automatically pass, recognizing the Princess and fearing her wrath if they interfere with the Rover. Both of them look like they'd kill anyone right now.

But as soon as they enter, Eretria receives a punch out of nowhere and a second before anyone can react. Amberle's head suddenly hurts and the familiar blur appears.

 _She blinks a couple of times, the light of day a painful contrast to the darkness of Arborlon. She recognizes Cephelo by a group of kids. They're in the middle of a clearing and other adults are pushing the kids towards one another._

 _Amberle is getting used to seeing Eretria younger and spots her immediately but she has this uncharacteristic fear in her eyes. She saw Eretria scared a few times but the girl is petrified here. Cephelo notices and smirks before pushing a taller girl and yelling for them to fight._

 _The taller girl hesitates a few seconds before starting to punch a frozen Eretria. She keeps at it relentlessly under the adult's encouragement. Amberle shuts her eyes, the vision unbearable but she can't block the sound, each punch making her sicker than the last, until it finally stops._

She opens her eyes to find Eretria on top of a blonde elvin soldier, holding her down while she trashes around. But the Rover is looking straight into the Princess's eyes, concerned.

Amberle gathers herself a little before stepping into the formed circle.

"What's going on ?" She demands clearly in spite of her lack of focus. She can't shake off the sounds.

"They think I'm with the fanatics because I'm a rover." Eretria sighs, more disappointed than angry.

"Seriously ?!" She looks around disbelievingly at the gathered soldier. "There's Elves in their ranks too, does it mean we're with them ?!" She yells angrily, how can they be that stupid ?

The soldiers whisper to one another and seem suddenly far less aggressive.

"Look, the four races form their ranks, everyone is concerned. So go back to your post, save the city and please stop making unfair assumptions when there's no proof backing it up." She finishes pointedly towards the young elf still under Eretria's hold.

She nods reluctantly and the Rover lets her go. They all scatter around and Amberle approaches her to make sure she isn't badly injured.

"I'm fine, Princess." Eretria swats her off before she can put her hands on her face.

They both look at each other awkwardly at the term of endearment. They're lost, unable to decide how they're feeling so they keep going from angry to scared to caring to comfortable. They both don't know what they want, that's the only thing clear.

Eretria is about to ask her if she's okay, since she noticed her faraway look earlier. Amberle's visions are getting more frequent but at least she doesn't pass out anymore. The Princess ignores the move and starts walking towards the general's tent. Eretria follows silently, the tension high in the air.

The Rover visibly relaxes when she spots Dax by a group of injured soldiers. She runs towards him, not saying a word to Amberle who continues to her Uncle. She wants an update on what's going on and see if she can help.

"Hey Dax !" the Rover yells as she makes her way to him.

He looks up and smiles at her. He quickly says something to an injured soldier before meeting her halfway. They hug each other for a short time, Eretria noticing he still smells of alcohol, like herself probably.

Eretria pulls back first, remembering why she was here in the first place.

"Do you know if the orphans are ok ?" She asks hurriedly.

Dax smiles brightly at her. He mustn't have thought she cared as much. "Yeah, I brought them myself to the tunnels as soon as the bells rang and then I came here."

The Rover finally remembers to breathe. One of her rules is to never believe something you can't see, but she made that rule before being able to rely on people. And she'd trust Dax with anything, so she believes him.

She smiles brightly, some of the weight on her shoulders lifted.

"Thank you, Dax. They're lucky to have you."

The soldier nods solemnly and is about to answer her when Amberle's yelling reaches them.

"Why would you do this ?! The entire plan resided on the scouts warning us ahead !"

Eretria turns around and smirks. She maybe angry at the Elvin Princess but she always enjoyed seeing Amberle scold idiots, even when she's on the receiving end of said scolding. Although she'll never admit that she's an idiot sometimes.

The Rover makes her way towards them just in time to hear Ander quietly asking her to calm down.

"Your Grace, with all due respect, this was madness. People will die today because of this."

"What happened ?" Eretria interrupts everybody. She can see a couple of generals eyeing her with disdain and another gesturing a guard towards her, surely to remove her. But the King holds his hand up and nods, allowing her to participate in this debate.

Amberle is relieved not to be alone anymore. They may be privately fighting, and Eretria might hate her right now but she knows that she hates the Elvin officials more. And anyway the Princess has no doubt the Rover won't let her judgment be influenced by her emotions. Even at the beginning of their quest, they may have been at each other's throats but Eretria always agreed with her when she was right, although it did look painful for her. Amberle can't exactly say the same. She lets her opinion of people influence her decisions and that is something she wants to work on.

The Princess clears her throat before answering as calmly as she can. "Commander Hanson here," she points towards an old grey-haired Elvin general wearing the Commander's color. He's beardless with small blue eyes. He might've have been handsome and kind in his youth but now he looks merciless and brutal, traits reflected in his demeanor. That man has seen horrors and they've got the better of him. She continues "thought the scouts would be better used behind the walls where they can't scout anything because the enemy was taking too long to show up. So when the bells rang earlier, the fanatics were already at the East gate and they burst through with barely any resistance. The soldiers finally got into position but they were already in the City. They're currently trying to push them back, but they went as far as here. Galaphile's road is under battle and so is the Eastern part of the market, as we have seen firsthand."

That last bit seems to surprise a few generals, but Amberle suppresses the urge to yell at them more for their incompetence.

"What about the people living south of the road, did they make it to the tunnels ?" Eretria already knows the answer but she had to ask.

Ander stepped in, a somber look on his features. He pointed at a map of the city. "The far south of the East and the entire West and South are safe in the tunnels. The Silver City is also completely evacuated. But these people," he circles the upper half of the Eastern district, directly under the road, exactly where Eretria was minutes ago, "we don't know if they all made it."

"You need to send soldiers to secure it. If people are still alive they might get caught in the crossfire, they're not safe". Amberle presses her uncle.

He nods. "Commander, what forces are available ?"

The old General glares at Eretria, clearly blaming her for this before turning to the King. "The soldiers on the West gate could come back, there's no way those fanatics will make it pass the river without a boat."

"And they don't have any, according to the scouts." Another general chimes in, proud to participate.

As they make more plans, Eretria frowns, something doesn't add on. Amberle notices and nudges her side.

"Hey… What's bothering you ?" The princess whispers, frowning herself.

Eretria nearly smiles at the fact she noticed her concern but refocuses quickly and whispers back.

"I'm not sure… But they have rovers in their ranks right ?"

Amberle nods quickly, remembering the blonde fanatic who reminded her of Eretria.

"Well, Arborlon has only two ways in, the East gate and by the river. Rovers wouldn't just attack one side it's too easy to defend, but that's what they're doing. So it got me thinking, if I did that…"

"It would be for a distraction." Amberle finishes, eyes wide.

It's Eretria's turn to nod slowly. "Don't let them call the soldier's back yet. I'm going to take a better look."

Amberle turns back to the conversation and immediately pleads with the generals while Eretria runs out, followed by Dax.

"What's going on ?" He asks her as he catches up.

"Something's up, I think they might come from the river after all." She answers as she starts climbing on the tavern's side, the tallest building on the Priom Mor's west edge.

He doesn't answer but climbs with her. They make quick work of it and they can soon make out the river. It's dark but the moon shines bright enough to see quite clearly.

After a few seconds of squinting their eyes to no results, Eretria sighs in frustration.

"It's no use, there's nothing. Maybe I'm just paranoid…"

"Wait !" Dax interrupts her self-pity and points towards the river excitedly.

She tries again and this time a dark shape appears on the bright water. It's hard to say exactly what it is, but it's something when nothing should be there.

Eretria smiles wildly at Dax. She was right, she's done something better than these so-called generals.

"Ok, let's go." The soldier urges her kindly, a proud smile of his own.

When they reach the general's tents, they're greeted by a raging Amberle.

"I'm telling you, you'll regret this."

"Why should I believe the intuition of a rover ? They don't know anything about battle…" Commander Hanson is cut off by Eretria.

"But we know about fighting. And I'm telling you, them only attacking on one side doesn't make sense. Anyway there's something on the river." She finishes with conviction, earning herself a proud look from Amberle. She tries to ignore it, but it does affect her a little, it reinforces her belief in herself.

"I saw it too." Dax adds, eliciting whispers among the generals.

"It's too late anyway, the order has been given." Hanson provides angrily. "We don't even know if it's a boat. It could be anything."

That earns him a few nods from his generals but Ander is still frowning.

"I'll go with the uninjured soldiers of my unit." Dax says confidently, immediately leaving without waiting for approval.

"Come back, now !" Hanson shouts after him but Ander silences him by lifting his hand.

"I'll go with him. Hanson, send the soldiers to the Eastern district, they need to escort the civilians to the tunnels while the rest of the army pushes back."

Amberle and Hanson answer at the same time.

"Your grace…"

"Uncle Ander…"

Ander cuts them off and addresses Amberle. "Don't worry I'll take your advice and take half the Home Guard with me. Stay here and stay safe Amberle."

She nods reluctantly and turns to Eretria. The Rover is torn between following to the West Gate, to fight with Dax or help rescue the citizens.

Amberle senses her hesitation and asks "What do we do ?"

"You heard your uncle, you should stay here, Amberle. You need to be safe." The Rover replies firmly.

Amberle frowns. "I'm not staying here while my people are being slaughtered."

She marches towards the edge of the Priom Mor and turns around.

"Hey !" She yells, focusing everyone's attention on her. "If you're able to fight, follow me. We need to evacuate the people stuck in the Eastern District, now !"

About twenty soldiers gather around her, quickly followed by the dozen coming back from the West gate. Amberle arranges them into groups and assigns a house to each, before sending them off.

"Are you coming ?" The Rover is startled out of her contemplation by the Princess, who doesn't wait for a reply and runs off.

Eretria smiles to herself as she catches up with the Elvin brunette. Amberle is a born leader, there's no doubt about it, and Eretria loves that side of her, even when she's mad at her.

The front line has receded quite a bit and it seems Arborlon has the upper hand.

"So, we make rounds in the area until everyone reports back. If there's trouble, we help." Amberle half informed, half ordered the Rover who doesn't complain. She's just glad she gets to be the one by the Princess's side, making sure she's as safe as possible.

They keep moving, silent and on alert for any sign of trouble. At first everything is pretty calm, the evacuation proceeding without incident until suddenly a scream tears through the district. They both rush as fast as possible through the maze of houses and buildings until they reach the voice's owner.

A family is surrounded by three fanatics, their escort dead on the ground. The girls look at each other briefly before engaging them. They fight back to back, Amberle taking care of the elf while Eretria takes care of the two gnomes.

Their opponents are pretty good but with their backs covered, the girls can focus on attack only and Amberle makes quick work of the elf, pushing her blade in the man's throat, between his helmet and black armor, sending blood everywhere. Eretria has a little more trouble with the gnomes who relentlessly attack her arms and legs, the little cuts irritating more than anything. She manages to slice one of the gnome's stomach open, displaying his intestines for the world to see. He falls to the ground without a sound, astonishing Eretria long enough for the other gnome to take advantage and kick her feet from under her. She catches herself on her hands, avoiding her face getting hurt. When she looks up, Amberle's sword sticks out from the gnome's heart.

The Princess takes her sword out of the lifeless body while Eretria gets back up, muttering under her breath.

"You're welcome." Amberle says sarcastically while gesturing for the family to follow them. They comply, still shaking but feeling safer.

"I would've been fine." Eretria answers nonchalantly, focused ahead for any more trouble.

"You're unbelievable." Amberle shakes her head.

The Rover scoffs and mutters "Screw you", uncaring if she's heard or not. If she is, the Princess doesn't comment and they arrive back to the Priom Mor.

"Is everyone back safely ?" Amberle inquires to one of the soldiers as soon as they pass the Home Guards and the family is headed for the tunnels.

"A few soldiers are injured but every family is back safely. The only ones missing are Alfie, Ronan and Lia." She replies matter-of-factly before bowing respectively.

Amberle's face falls as realization hits her. "I'm sorry, but I think they died protecting their assigned family. Eretria and I arrived too late and saw the bodies of three soldiers. It must be them."

The soldier nods, trying to contain her own emotions and excuses herself. Eretria is torn between comforting a struggling Amberle and rushing to get news of Dax and the others. She has a bad feeling about the west side. She decides there will be time for comfort later and starts towards the tent, quickly followed by a silent Amberle.

"Any news of the West Gate ?" Eretria asks Hanson directly as they enter the general's tent, but he ignores her. The Rover is out of patience for the day, exhaustion starting to kick in, and she's about to let everyone know how she feels about them when she's cut off by an equally pissed off princess.

"Commander." Amberle intervenes, a clear warning in her tone.

"Not yet." He replies reluctantly.

Eretria storms out without replying. She goes straight for the West Gate, pushing through the Home Guards trying to stop her and starts running on _Aphen's road_ , the path connecting the West Gate to the Priom Mor.

Her body aches, one of her daggers is missing and she's really hungover. On top of that, her only friend, well the only one she likes, decided to be a fucking hero and now he may be dead on the bottom of a river. Fear starts to creep up on her but she pushes it down, trading it for anger instead. It's more useful in a fight. She's angry at the whole damn universe for absolutely everything that's going on. She feels like screaming when she hears a pair of boots following her at a distance.

She stops and sighs.

"Why are you following me Amberle ?"

The Princess stops dead in her tracks and tries to come up with an excuse. "I'm not, I'm… just… going to get news from my uncle." She smiles, that was a good answer.

"Right." The Rover doesn't buy it but doesn't care. She starts running again and they arrive in no time at the Gate.

They're greeted by another battle scene and a pile of fanatics on the ground. It seems they had a boat after all. The girls immediately enter the battle, taking by a surprise a few unsuspecting enemies and trying to stay close. They deal with them quickly before passing the Gates. They see the battle raging on the docks so they make their way down the marble stairs, slicing and pushing along the way until they reach Dax, Ander and a few of their men.

"Upstairs is clear and they're pushing them back on the East side". Amberle updates while blocking an attack and swiftly ending that rover's life.

Ander nods and keeps going while Dax smiles at Eretria. She feels lighter at seeing him okay. He's bruised and cut like her but other than that he looks fine. Eretria starts to have fun again, especially with the hatchet she picked up from a dead troll to fill her left hand. It took some adjustment and a few missed hits, costing another deep cut on her collarbone, but now she got the hang of it.

The Princess and the Rover didn't notice they drifted apart from the others during the fight and they're now on the far side by themselves.

Amberle catches on and decides to corner the Rover once again. She can't run if she's fighting.

"You didn't even let me explain." She abruptly accuses while slicing a troll's hand off before finishing him off through the eye.

"What ?!" Eretria yells while blocking an elf's attack, clearly annoyed by her opponent's speed and her lack of energy to respond efficiently.

"At the stables, you ran off before I could tell you why we can't be together." Amberle clarifies while taking on the last opponent she sees, a mean looking rover a bit older than the others.

"I don't care, it doesn't change the result." Eretria replies dryly while finally taking the upper hand by slamming the hilt of her dagger in the elf's nose before burying her hatchet in the guy's throat, practically decapitating him. She probably would have finished the job, her curiosity gnawing at her, but she's way too tired so she just takes the hatchet out and leaves him to bleed out on the deck.

"Will you just stop being such a child and listen ?!" Amberle snaps back, driving her sword in the rover's stomach and taking it out swiftly before sheathing it again.

Eretria seethes, ready to spit out some well-chosen insult towards the Princess when she suddenly rushes at full speed towards Amberle, yelling her name as a warning. The Princess's eyes go wide, unsure of what to expect again, when Eretria wraps her arms around her back and spins them around.

Amberle doesn't understand what's going on, but the feeling of the Rover in her arms again sends a familiar warmth through her body and she melts in the embrace. That is until she feels Eretria slipping from her grasp.

The Rover kneels against Amberle's legs, unable to stay upright through the pain and exhaustion. The Elvin brunette scans the area to find a fanatic elvin archer being executed by Daxian. She understands what happened. Eretria saved her from an arrow. She immediately crouches down and takes the rover by the shoulders to see where the arrow hit.

Amberle lets a sigh of relief as she sees the nock sticking out from the back of Eretria's left thigh but she falters when she can't see the arrow head on the other side.

She looks up to make sure they're safe and she sees her Uncle and Dax fighting bravely what seems to be the last of the fanatics.

"You didn't have to save me, Eretria." Amberle says gently.

"It's…what I do… now." The rover grits out through a strained cheeky grin before wincing in pain as Amberle tries to maneuver them a little.

The Princess smiles a little before ducking to meet Eretria's eyes, her smile disappearing as she's about to hurt her even more.

"The arrow didn't go through your leg." She says regretfully. "You know what that means…"

The Rover nods her head against Amberle's shoulder, all playfulness gone.

"Can I… hold… you ?" Eretria asks and although Amberle can't see her face, she hears the girl's vulnerability. This is going to hurt a lot, they both know it.

"Sure, as much as you need." At that Eretria puts her arms around Amberle's shoulders and holds onto them for dear life. The Princess holds the Rover's back with one hand and ducks a little to grab the shaft of the arrow. She counts to three in her head and pulls it roughly out, feeling the flesh tear as she opens the wound further.

Eretria tries to muffle her scream on Amberle's shoulder but she can't help it, it's too painful. She feels tears streaming down her face and curses herself for them.

Once the arrow is out, Eretria finally lets go of her death grip on the Princess and whispers a grateful "thank you".

Amberle smiles at her and sits Eretria down after some painful difficulties.

"So… why… can't we be…together ?" The Rover pants out through clenched teeth.

"Now you want to listen ?" Amberle answers, unable to keep the exasperation out of her voice, while wrapping the other girl's thigh in part of the dead rover's shirt.

She just nods, still regaining her breath, so the Princess clears her throat, all her nervousness from the previous day reappearing.

"My people are stubborn and close-minded…" She starts looking anywhere but into the Rover's eyes.

"My uncle feared they would question his leadership if they knew that his niece, the Ellcrys's vessel, is dating a human, not to mention a rover and… I agreed." She finishes, feeling a little guilty at the admission.

Eretria frowns, trusting her breath again. "So I'm nothing more than rover scum, huh ?"

"No, not to me. But Arborlon's citizens still believe that, in spite of everything you did, they still see you as a threat and as someone who can't be trusted."

She sighs before carrying on, looking into the other girl's eyes. "I don't want to live without you, Eretria, ever. But I can't put everyone else at risk for my own happiness."

Eretria answers quickly, finally understanding. "And I can't ask you to do that. You still believe in people, I don't. I wouldn't care about putting people at risk if it meant being with you. But you couldn't live with yourself if you made that kind of selfish choice, so I won't ask you to."

Amberle doesn't really believe that. She's pretty sure Eretria would have made the same choice in the end, although she would have fought more. _She_ should have fought more.

"And I'm sorry for last night. I was hurt, and I wanted to forget you." The Rover adds sheepishly.

"Did it work ?" Amberle asks teasingly but deep down she fears the answer.

She laughs, flushing a little. "No, after the other night together … it just felt so bland, like yeah sure it wasn't terrible but…" She pauses, a shy smile on her lips, "it wasn't with you."

They look into each other's eyes for a moment, sharing silently their feelings for one another again, until Amberle breaks the tension.

"Looks like I made an impression." She states cheekily.

"Don't get cocky on me Princess, you might ruin the moment." Eretria teases back.

"Oh, we're having a moment, are we ?" The Princess piles on and Eretria smiles happily when yelling reaches them from above. They briefly look at each other, panic in their eyes, before Amberle helps the human up and they half limp half run up the stairs, the docks completely cleared while they had shared their moment.

Once they pass the gates again, they step into a pool of blood, the bodies from their previous fights having been joined by new ones. Amberle is the first one to spot movement near the Garden's gate and she points it out silently.

They make their way with some difficulty for the Rover, who stays a little behind due to her leg. They cut through a couple of fanatics before spotting the owner of the screams. Will.

"What are you…?" Amberle starts frowning but she's cut off by Daxian shoving the injured half-elf back and bashing the skull of a charging troll with his long sword. The troll fanatic falls and he finishes him by driving his sword through his eye.

"Watch out !" Eretria cries suddenly. The imposing soldier doesn't see the gnome sneaking behind him. He doesn't see what the Rover sees and although she throws her dagger, aiming for the gnome's skull, and although she reaches her target, it's too late. He turns just in time for the little creature's blade to pierce his unprotected left side, his armor forgotten long ago.

They both collapse, one dead and the other on his way.

"Dax !" Eretria screams again limping towards her fallen friend, tears already filling her eyes.

She kneels besides him, trying to stop the blood pouring out of his stomach with her bare hands. She focuses on helping him, refusing her mind the right to panic, but she can't seem to form a coherent thought.

What is she supposed to do ? She knows she's supposed to do something but seeing her friend in this state fogs her mind. She's roughly pushed aside by Catania. Catania ?!

She picks herself up and is about to protest when she sees the blonde wrapping the unconscious soldier's middle and ordering the last two of "his men" as he calls them, to carry him to the Priom Mor where the emergency hospital has been set up.

She looks up in awe at the elf who smiles reassuringly at her. She nods, understanding she's too affected to help him. She's not sure she trusts the handmaiden but she's the only one who seems to know what she's doing, and right now that's the best for Dax.

"You can fight this, Dax." She mutters softly, squeezing her friend's limp hand before he's carried by the soldiers.

"Catania" Amberle, who's been watching from a distance, worry and tears in her eyes, stops the blonde, "Please tell Commander Hanson to send the remaining soldiers across the City, everywhere, to make sure it's safe and rescue the injured from both sides. We should be back soon with more orders. Tell him it's from the King if he doesn't listen… And take care of him." She gestures to Daxian.

"Yes, of course Princess." Catania assures confidently before running after her patient.

Eretria is a mess, retrieving her dagger with one hand and pushing herself up with the other on the wall. Her hands tremble and she can't see much from her watery eyes. She takes a deep breath and straightens herself up, rage replacing temporarily the pain. Someone will pay for this.

She didn't know him for long, but in that time he cared for her more than most people she encountered in her young life. He truly cared and now he's gone. This isn't fair and someone will pay.

She may have caused pain and death herself, and she may deserve to be alone for the rest of her life but not like this, not by taking away someone who's genuinely good, someone better than most.

So she turns, her cheeks stained from her fallen tears but her eyes burning, towards the man Dax had to save. Amberle could swear there's a glint of red in her eyes. It's probably just a reflection.

"What are you doing here ?" The Rover asks in a low voice, containing herself for now.

"I… we… got worried… so we went to find you… and then we got caught up in the battle." Will replies, clutching his bloody upper arm, a deep gash running its length.

"And why was Catania there ?" Amberle inquires curiously while wrapping it up the best she can.

"She said she could help. So we took her with us." He answers with a painful shrug.

"You keep saying "we". Who's "we" ?" The Princess continues while Eretria limps towards them.

"Alanon and I. He went after the fanatics who took the King on the docks. Daxian, his men, Catania and I followed but they stopped us here. That's when you guys showed up... I think one of them isn't affected by Alanon's magic." He mused absentmindedly.

Amberle nods and sighs. When she was tending to Eretria's thigh, they must have missed another group from their boat. They must have managed to abduct her uncle and they're probably on their way to the Ellcrys. It's most likely a trap for her but they have to go after them. She's just not sure the Rover is in a state to fight, both physically and mentally.

"How many are there?" Eretria asks, a dangerous look still in her eyes but she seems to have regained a bit of her sanity.

He looks down to see how many they've killed before answering. "I'd say two or three with the guy immune to magic."

"Ok. They must be in the Sanctuary. Let's go." The Rover starts limping through the gates, her makeshift bandage soaked in blood and leaving a trail behind her.

The other two follow unconvincingly, Will going quickly ahead and Amberle assisting a reticent Eretria.

"I can walk alone." She mumbles.

"I know, but I want to help. Let me ?" The Princess asks simply, looking ahead, not wanting to put pressure on the Rover.

Eretria is about to automatically tell her to shove it, but she doesn't find the anger anymore. Instead she just feels a little warmer because this beautiful elvin brunette, with eyes brighter than the ocean on a sunny day, wants to help her. She wants to be with her and she wants to help her.

She shakes her head and smiles at herself. She can be such a romantic sucker when she wants to be.

"Okay…" She softly replies while looking at where she's going, trying to hide her face where she knows the corner of a smile won't go away. She also holds on a little tighter to the Princess, pressing their sides that much closer.

And Amberle can't help but smile too. They're okay again, or they will be soon anyway. She's relieved and can't help but feel the hope that one day they both will be happy. She frowns at that. The last time she was happy was 24 hours ago, in a certain brunette's arms. That thought leads her to voice the question that will determine their future, the question occupying her mind since she agreed with her uncle.

"Once this war is over, maybe we can start again, you and me ?"

"Maybe…" The Rover sighs, because even though she wants to give them another chance. She's scared, even more than before. Because now she knows the pain of losing Amberle and she doesn't know if she can live it again.

Amberle seems to catch on the doubt and although it's better than a flat out "no", she understands the other girl's caution after being burned once. She sighs too and they reach the Sanctuary without another word.

"I've seen two dead trolls on the way." Will informs them. They nod but before they can make out a plan, Eretria collapses on the ground, feeling weak.

"Eretria !" Amberle whispers loudly and undoes the soaking bandage. The Rover is sweating and clenching her teeth and upon seeing the state of her wound she understands why. It's infected.

"Is it that bad ?" The Rover asks teasingly knowing the answer from the Princess's fallen face.

"You can't move anymore Eretria, you're making it worse." Will tells her, regret written on his features.

"I'll go. You two stay here." Amberle immediately chimes in. Eretria is about to argue, the fire back in her eyes, but she cuts her off. "You're injured, and Will can't fight… I'll make whoever's in there suffer." She promises firmly, although she does plan on taking their leader alive, and then letting Eretria avenge Daxian.

She remembers her vision from the Ellcrys and she's betting the only fanatic capable of taking the King hostage and resisting magic is Saron.

With a steely resolve and a parting smile to a raging Rover, she gets up and puts a hand on the door.

"Be careful" Will calls after her as she enters the Sanctuary.

"So what do we do now, Druid ?" Saron, holding a dagger to Ander's throat in front of the Ellcrys, asks Alanon before noticing the new arrival.

"Oh, Princess, I'm glad to see you're finally joining us." He says happily while Alanon turns to her, sword drawn. He seems to understand something at this and curses in elfish.

"Let him go, Saron." She brushes off the anger at his use of her title, tainting the memory of Eretria using it a little earlier, and approaches gently from the right, sword drawn. Alanon gets the hint and starts to approach from the left.

Meanwhile the young elf seems to recoil at Amberle's use of his name, failing to notice their faint movements.

"How do you know my name ?" He asks angrily, pushing the blade to Ander's throat and drawing a bit of blood.

She gasps and is about to answer when the heavy doors are brutally opened and Eretria storms in, gritting her teeth through the pain, and barely even limping as she marches towards Saron, murder in her eyes and her bloody dagger in her hand.

Amberle can't help but admire the darker shade of beauty emanating from the Rover. Her head held high, the pure rage in her eyes with that glint of red again, the rhythmic dripping of blood from her dagger and leg on the white marble floor emanating a musical warning to her enemies. In this instant, Eretria seems unstoppable. And maybe she is.

But her bloody figure marching to the middle of the room also reminds Amberle of her biggest fear, Eretria dying in this very place, by Saron's hand.

She tries to shake that thought by focusing on stopping the fanatic.

"It's over, surrender." The Princess tries.

"Or don't, so I can cut you piece by piece." Eretria adds sadistically, and it doesn't feel right to Amberle. Will barges in at this moment, a small cut on his eyebrow, his eyes already starting to swell.

This new interruption causes everyone to turn to him and provides a distraction for Saron. He pushes Ander towards Alanon, who barely catches him, and runs towards Eretria. He discards his dagger and unsheathes his sword in the process.

The Rover turns around in time and catches Saron's blade with her dagger, but he kicks her injured leg. She cries in pain and falters, kneeling on her good knee to avoid the ground. She's still blocking him with her dagger, but her whole body is shaking from the pain and she knows she's an easy finish. She looks up to catch Amberle's gaze one last time, her heart breaking at the fear and sadness she finds there. She can't hold Saron's strength, especially with a small dagger and she's relieved when he finally lifts his sword. The pain and exhaustion take their toll on her and she lets her dagger fall. She turns her head to the open doors and watches the sun start to rise across the trees in a mix of pink and bright orange coloring the darkness. Dawn is finally breaking, just in time to see her life ending. How poetic, but she's grateful for the beauty and awaits the final blow, uncaring of what lies next. She's done all she can in this life.

Everything happened so quickly. Amberle watches as Eretria sinks to her knees, panic and fear rising as they exchange one last look with each other. She sees the resignation in the Rover's eyes, as a golden shade provided by the first light of the day colors them, replacing the dangerous red from the night. She sees Eretria's body sink a little further as her energy leaves her. She watches as she faces away, admiring one last sun rising before dying, a peaceful and even a little amused expression on her features.

She finally notices Saron's sword in the air and the fear that froze her in place disappears. She can't let her vision play out so she runs, she runs as Saron's sword start its descent. She runs as the consequences invade her mind but she pushes them away, running a little faster as if it was possible, to save the girl she loves. The girl she let down but never again, she will save her, and she'll save everyone else. Because Amberle won't let her be sacrificed, be hurt, be disregarded for a supposed higher calling anymore. To Amberle, Eretria is the one deserving of everything, and she'll start by her life.

She can feel the Ellcrys invading her mind trying to pull her into unconsciousness as she slips under the blades trajectory but she doesn't let it. She fights in her own head as steel rips her leather top and the flesh across her torso. She screams at the pain in her own head until it stops. Everything stops. An eerie silence has invaded the Sanctuary as she looks down to the new source of pain.

A sword is lodged in her middle, right under her heart. Saron takes it out with a sickening grin, sending another wave of pain through her body as she realizes she gave him exactly what he wanted. But she can't seem to care, Eretria is safe, that's all that matters.

She brings her hands up to the fatal wound without thinking, her reflexes dictating that she should try to stop her blood from escaping as her legs can't support her anymore. Her senses are overwhelmed and all she feels is pain and relief, it will soon be over.

She can hear muffled noises around her but she can't focus enough to understand what's happening now that her lungs are burning too and she struggles just to breathe. She can make out faces in her line of vision but it's too blurry to recognize them.

Soon she closes her eyes, way too tired to keep them open, she tries to say something but she can't even feel her throat anymore, just pain, everywhere searing pain. But she's okay with it. Her vision didn't happen, she changed fate and she saved Eretria.

She did save her after all.

* * *

 **A/N :** Hey everyone ! It's been another while… I'm unreliable so sorry. I hope you enjoyed this overdue chapter. It's way longer than the others, does it help ?

Also please tell me what you think. Is it too messy and unclear ? I took a few liberties with Arborlon's description and I hope I didn't mess it up.

Anyway so the big battle is over, and it seems our heroes have won at a great cost. But is it really over ?

Next chapter : Saving Amberle's life and what to do next.

Disclaimer because I'm not sure when I'll be able to post again : Amberle doesn't die here, we're only at the first third of the story.

Thanks for the reviews/follows/favorites, it makes my day everytime.


	11. Chapter 11 : Breathe

**TW :** Violence, light and implied sexual assault (nothing graphic, but it's there) and language as always. Enjoy !

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 _What's taking so long ?_ Eretria frowns but as she looks up, her expression changes from confusion to horror. She's face to face with a bloody sword sticking out of Amberle's body, and that's the moment she understands shock for the first time.

She always found ridiculous people freezing in the face of danger. She was a fighter and even when she was scared, though she'll never admit that, she moved forward. But in this moment, she can't move a muscle, unable to comprehend the fact that Amberle's form is standing between her and her death. She was the one supposed to die, and she accepted that. This isn't right, it just can't be happening. Amberle can't _die_.

Her mental struggle comes to an end as Will's voice drags her back to reality.

"Amberle !" He cries over the sickening sound of Saron's sword retreating from the Princess's stomach, leaving Eretria to catch Amberle and break her fall, her sharp reflexes still at the ready in spite of her state. She settles the taller girl on the ground before taking a look at the wound. Blood, that's the only thing she's able to see, flowing from Amberle's abdomen, the gaping hole through her body not even visible with all of the thick liquid.

 _No…_

Eretria is used to blood, she grew up with its sight and familiar copper scent, but this is different. The thick red liquid makes her nauseous now and she can feel herself getting a little light-headed. There's so much blood, but what's making her ill is the fact its Amberle's… _Her_ Amberle's blood leaving her body at an alarming rate… _How could this happen ?!_

 _No.._

She shakes her head, unaware of the tears spilling down her cheeks. She just got her back from a tree, loved her and then lost her, but now maybe they could've been okay, then she lost Dax, accepted her death and _now_ she's going to lose her forever ?! How can the world keep ripping everything away from her and expect her to be good ? How can anyone expect her to give a shit if every time she does she loses the people she cares about ? She stares down at Amberle's unconscious form, wishing her eyes would open once again, wishing to lose herself once more in those comforting blue eyes, desperate to tell her once more how she changed her life, how she saved her… For what though ? What's the point of her accepting to love if it's taken away from her so suddenly ? And now what's the point of going on ?

She takes a deep breath, and shakes her head again, this time with more force.

 _No !_ She won't accept this, she needs to wake her up, she knows she can, she just doesn't know how.

She rams her palms into her eyes to dry them before pressing her hands on where she assumes the blade-size wound should be, a fierce determination overtaking her.

"I'm sorry…" She whispers, tears still stubbornly pouring from her eyes as she presses around to find the hole in the elvin's stomach. She thought the other girl would have at least winced at the sure pain, but the Princess's face didn't even twitch. This sends Eretria into another wave of panic before Saron's slimy voice interrupts her thoughts.

"Well that was easier than I thought, so much for the almighty Ellcrys huh ?" He smirks, a mad glee to his features.

The Rover's head snaps up at the comment. In all her distress she forgot about him, looming over them, the bloody sword still in his hand. The sword he used to hurt Amberle. She looks right into his eyes, momentarily distracted from the dying Princess in her arms by the blinding rage overtaking her. Her eyes narrow dangerously, glowing an unnatural red while she grabs the dagger she previously abandoned, ready to pounce on him and tear him to shreds. He took the Princess away from her, he hunted her and hurt her. He drove his sword through her and for what ? To see the world burn ? Amberle died so he could free an army of demons ?! Is that really what faith is ? Surviving the impossible just to die by the hands of a lunatic to save a worthless criminal ? She feels her hands shaking as fire builds behind her eyes and she could swear she feels her blood literally burn, but she doesn't care, he'll pay and then she'll make sure every last one of those fanatics know what pain is.

He looks down at her, fear slowly reaching his eyes as his smugness disappears. She snarls at that, her devilish smile still in place as she's about to make her move when Alanon appears behind the taller elf and slices his head off, driving his enchanted blade across his throat and letting the now loose head fall to the ground, fear forever engraved on his handsome features, burnt into his soulless eyes.

Eretria's rage turns to Alanon now, her smirk replaced by a scowl. He robbed her of her vengeance, of the satisfaction of killing him slowly and as painfully as possible. Her blood and eyes feel like they're on fire, but she isn't concerned with it as she slowly stands up, never lowering her glare towards the Druid. He looks at her puzzled for a few moments before his eyes go wide, understanding reaching him.

"Eretria, I know you're feeling angry towards me right now, but you need to focus back on Amberle, you need to save her." He states forcefully, his demeanor remaining calm, his gaze unwavering.

Seconds pass without a sound in the vast room, the Rover fighting herself to calm down, to get back to Amberle, trying to push down this consuming anger, this overwhelming _need_ for violence. She frowns further before closing her eyes, a new kind of pain erupting in her skull as she pushes the rage away.

Deep breaths, that's it, deep breaths.

She finally opens her eyes again to reveal their usual dark brown shade, with a speck of gold where the sun hits her. She looks back up to see Alanon's concerned brow, and she knows something is off. _What the hell is wrong with me ? Was I seriously about to kill Alanon ?_

She recalls the fight with Amberle on the training ground a few days ago, when she lost her temper and nearly slit the beautiful elvin's throat. She can get angry sometimes but this was extreme, just like now. She remembers struggling to process what she was about to do. What she _wanted_ to do. And how it took her some time to snap out of it.

She averts her gaze from the druid's eyes, still studying her. It lands on the still bleeding Amberle on the floor and her panic rises again. _Amberle…_ She doesn't have time to dwell on her weird behavior, she needs to stop the blood pouring out of the unconscious Princess.

She lets the blade slip from her bloody hands and resume her position by the elvin brunette's side, anger tugging at her as she can't seem to be able to do anything. Just like for Dax earlier.

She can hear Alanon distantly asking Ander to take care of his people, promising Amberle will be fine. After some hesitation, she sees the King leaving the Sanctuary from the corner of her eyes. How can Alanon be so sure ?

She feels the tears well up again as she fights the urge to scream at her uselessness, and turns to plead with Alanon.

"Please ! Help her !

He looks at her solemnly, although she can see annoyance there too. "I can't, Eretria, only you can save her."

"Why ?! You have magic, do something !" She yells, now trying to find a pulse.

"She's… gone, Eretria." Will, still kneeling on the other side of the Princess, utters softly, his eyes wet with unshed tears of his own.

She looks at him, disbelievingly. "No, no, that can't be" She refuses to hear it. She sees the pouch on his chest and a smile shines on her tear-streaked features.

"You can heal her with the stones !" The Rover exclaims hopefully, finding the solution

"She has no pulse, she's gone, we can't heal her if she's already gone !" He insists angrily. "Don't you think I would've tried that ?!"

She ignores his outburst and frowns a second before tilting Amberle's chin up, opening her airway and starting compressions on her chest. "Then we give her one" She states fiercely.

"I've already tried…" Will starts sadly but she cuts him off with a glare. He takes his shirt off, careful of his wounded arm and tries to stop the bleeding from the Princess's stomach, it's more efficient than his hands.

She keeps alternating between a few compressions and blowing air into the elvin's mouth, trying to revive her but with no success. After minutes of this she looks up to find Alanon staring at her, brows still furrowed, frustration clear behind his eyes.

 _What the hell ?_

"Stop just standing there looking at me and do something !" She yells angrily, hope slowly fading as time passes and her favorite person in the world still isn't breathing.

"I'm sorry I can't, only you can save her" He repeats calmly, not betraying the anger in his eyes now.

This doesn't make sense, she's already doing the only thing she knows has a chance of bringing her back and it's not working, she needs a miracle, she needs… Magic.

Her eyes go wide as the realization hits her.

 _Her_ magic. How stupid can she be ?

She stops her compressions and grabs the dagger by her side. She looks up to see relief flood the druid's eyes as she opens her left hand, drawing her own blood from the tip of the blade. She drags it to form a line in her palm, making sure she bleeds enough.

"I have no idea if it'll work, or if it's not too late. I don't even know if I'm doing it right, but this is the only thing that makes sense" She announces, refusing to let hope flood her before Amberle opens her eyes again. Alanon nods and shoots a glare towards Will as he's about to protest. The half-elf frowns but relents, letting this play out. Amberle's gone anyway.

Eretria squeezes her left hand shut and lets it hover over the Princess's mouth, watching the droplets fall directly down her throat.

"Come on, Amberle… Please wake up." She pleads in a whisper, as seconds pass like hours, her blood still dripping like poison or a cure, Eretria isn't sure anymore. Once the droplets stop falling, she tears a piece of the cloth around her infected leg and wraps it tightly around her hand, another scar will soon be joining the circle on her right palm from when she opened the Bloodfire twice, from when she saved Amberle.

Finally, blue eyes flutter open with a matching groan. It takes everyone a moment to understand what is happening, and they all stare in shock as the Princess sits, making a disgusted face.

"Ugh ! What's that taste in my mouth ?!" She asks around, confused at everyone's stare.

She's about to ask why they're all looking at her when Eretria, kneeling beside her, lunges at her and wraps the resurrected princess tightly in her arms. The Elvin brunette is sure she hears her (former) lover sniffle and can't help but find it adorable. A smile tugs at her lips as she tightens her hold on the smaller girl, comforting her as best she can.

"You're breathing…" Eretria whispers wetly and Amberle nods in her shoulder, finally understanding where this is coming from. She died, for a while, and she must've scared the Rover. Although she has news from the Ellcrys to share, she can't bring herself to let go of Eretria just yet. This just feels more important right now.

They stay in each other's arms, oblivious to the world around them until Alanon clears his throat awkwardly, making both of them chuckle and release each other.

"You died" Will states bluntly, tears freely running from his eyes. Amberle wraps him in a hug but keeps her eyes locked with that particular shade of brown that makes her feel warm and safer than anywhere else.

"Yeah, but Eretria brought me back" She answers, mostly to her Rover.

"I always will." Eretria answers bashfully, surprising herself at the lack of cockiness to her answer.

"Can I speak with you for a minute ?" Alanon interrupts them by motioning for Eretria to follow him to the other side of the Sanctuary.

Eretria frowns at his tone but she struggles to get up nonetheless. Now that her adrenaline is gone, she feels weak and very much in pain again, but she grits her teeth and manages to stand. She turns and smiles again at the Princess, just back from the dead. Amberle returns the smile happily and the Rover feels her heart melting all over again.

She sighs and limps behind the druid, feeling like she's in trouble for something. Alanon may have warmed up to her lately but she's pretty sure that he's still more likely to yell at her than praise her.

They finally come to a stop when they're clearly out of earshot from the other two.

He looks at her, frown in place for a while, like he's searching for something on her face, or more specifically in her eyes. She squirms a little under the scrutiny but refuses to look away.

Finally he briefly turns away before looking up at her again, all scrutiny gone, replaced by concern.

"Alanon, what's going on ?" The Rover asks, unable to take anymore of his strange behavior and the feeling of dread creeping up on her.

He sighs. "I'm not sure, but your eyes turned red earlier when you were about to attack Saron, and then me…"

Eretria frowns. "That's not possible" She states firmly, although she recalls the burning behind her eyes, but it can't be.

"It happened, and I may have a theory." He adds solemnly, clearly disregarding her doubt.

"Yeah you always have theories on everything…" She mumbles childishly. She's in pain, exhausted and on top of that something's clearly wrong with her. Amberle's back from the dead and right now all she wants is to sleep in her arms for at least a week, but no, they have to discuss the fact she's going crazy right _now_.

He ignores her and starts pacing. "I need to know exactly what you were feeling."

It's her turn to sigh but she figures the faster they sort this out, the faster she'll be able to find a bed and sleep it all off.

"I felt…" She pauses to find the right words "like my eyes and my blood were burning, and there was this rage. I've felt enraged before but this was the only thing I felt, the only thing I could think about. I _needed_ to rip Saron limb from limb and make him suffer. Then you…" She looks down guiltily before finishing. "It was like I wasn't myself, I knew what I was doing but I couldn't stop, even if a part of me wanted to. It's hard to explain…"

"Has it happened before ?"

"The crazy rage ? Yeah, I kinda… nearly… slit Amberle's throat." She winces at the memory." My eyes weren't burning though. There's also earlier when Dax…" A lump forms in her throat as she recalls the sword cutting through Dax's torso. She shakes it away and focuses back on the conversation. "The rage died down pretty easily but I think my eyes were burning. I thought it was tears but now I'm not so sure. The worst was definitely with Saron, when I first entered the Sanctuary and when he..." She can't bring herself to finish her sentence. Alanon nods understandingly. After a few seconds she has to ask in a small voice "Am I going insane ?"

She saw it happen to older rovers when they came back from one too many raid or ambush gone wrong. They lost people they thought of as family, or took a life they weren't prepared too and it changed them. They would become violent, well more than usual and describe things or sensations that weren't real. When it became too much for everyone around, Cephelo would "end their misery". A rover life is never a long one, but Eretria thought she'd die fighting, or slaughtered in her sleep. She thought she had more time before risking losing her mind.

Alanon stays silent for a while, thinking it through, while the Rover feels awkward, debating whether to run away or not. Finally, the Druid looks up, a solemn expression back on his features.

"No, but I think the Bloodfire is affecting you on a deeper level than we thought." He pauses dramatically before resuming his explanation. "Its magic is very strong, but also very raw, coming from the Earth itself. It literally runs through your veins. It's possible it takes over when you're angry…"

Eretria cuts him off, brows furrowed in question. "Why angry ? Why not when I'm sad or in pain ? And how can magic be raw ?"

Alanon sighs "I think its magic was awakened at Safehold. You've been the Bloodfire your whole life, and it hasn't affected you like this until recently. Right ?"

She simply nods at his inquiry, trying to wrap her mind around all of this.

"Alright well I think if you were angry when you first used it to open the Fire, it would've latched on to that emotion. Magic needs an emotional anchor to regulate its power. Since anger is your answer to pain, physical or emotional, I think you must be feeling it almost constantly in the back of your mind." He finishes sympathetically, which the Rover takes for pity.

"What ? How can you possibly know that ? You barely know me." She defends angrily, ironically, but behind her quick retort, her mind is racing. She does get angry quite a lot, ever since she was a kid. Tears were seen as weak, and she couldn't be weak. So anytime she felt like crying, after getting her ass handed to her in training or being mocked by other rovers, she got mad. Like really mad. After a while thinking of her parents abandoning her and her lack of freedom made her angry too, not sad anymore. Her life has been filled with pain turned into anger, almost reflexively at this point. Even recently, Amberle's rejection turned into angry drinking and angry, stupid sex. And it was _normal_ rage too. Not this crazy compulsion to kill somebody. There's also the fact she actually _was_ angry at Safehold, those furies pushing her against Amberle mere seconds before she understood what she was, before she opened the Fire. She had pushed it back but the rage was still there, just under control.

She nods to the Druid, the weight of realization blocking her vocal chords.

"I've lived a long time, and I have observational skills." Alanon adds nonchalantly.

"Anyway, this magic is raw because it flows through you but you can't control it yet, it's too unstable and you're not ready, you would lose yourself in it." He warns darkly. "I could teach you to use it fully someday, if you're interested, but right now we need to make sure you don't let it control you. It could push you on a rampage, its power too strong while fueled by your anger and its need to kill blinding you."

"Its need to kill ?" Eretria inquires shakily, more and more feeling like an instrument of the next Apocalypse.

"It was corrupted by one of its creators a long time ago, used for taking a life instead of creating it, and when magic is corrupted, it's hard to get it back to its pure form." He pauses there, thinking for a few minutes before going on. "We don't know much about the Bloodfire, just why it was created and some of what it can do, but nothing about this darkness. It can still heal the Ellcrys, like it did for Amberle, but it could potentially also harm since its corruption. We'd need to test it but it's too dangerous to let it loose right now. We need to build your mental strength first..." Alanon trails off, before refocusing. "It uses your anger to fulfill its new purpose. As long as you don't force it back to its pure original intent, death and destruction will be its goal, pushing you towards it when its power increases, when you're angry."

Silence settles between them as Eretria processes everything. So her blood is actual magic. She can heal Amberle but possibly harm people, which is very likely considering her murderous urges the past week. The magic gets stronger with her anger, and takes over when she's enraged, pushing her to kill. So she can't get too angry as long as she doesn't control it or reverts it back to creating life, however the hell you do that.

"Okay so basically, I can't get angry or my eyes will turn red and magic will send me on a crazy murdering spree ? Alright… That won't be an issue I'm sure." She finishes sarcastically, making Alanon shake his head at her antics.

"But hey, why aren't you or Will getting possessed by your magic ?" She inquires, trying to change the subject. All of this is a little much for her and anyway she needs to check on Dax, she needs to know.

"You're not getting possessed Eretria, just losing control. And the Druid's magic is complex and any powerful emotion could affect it. That's why we learn to master our emotions, so they don't take over. As for Will, his magic comes from the stones, not emotion. Like you it's quite limited but very powerful, created for a purpose. We should go, I need more information about this. We'll talk later." He explains quietly, but his features betray his concern. He's probably still thinking about the dangers of a powerful magic trapped in the body of an angry eighteen year old Rover.

"Couldn't I have some sort of stones too ? Seriously it would be way easier to manage than my anger. Then again I'm a rover, I'd probably sell them so maybe not…" She smiles, her joke not that funny but there's no point in dwelling in helplessness, she can't do anything for now, except sleep and avoid anger. That's her plan.

Alanon shakes his head again, but a ghost of a smile appears on his lips as they make their way towards Amberle and Will, quietly talking. _Weren't they further away earlier ?_ Eretria shakes her head, it must be the bloodloss tricking her brain.

"Hey…" the Rover greets, startling them from their whispered arguing.

The Princess's greeting is cut short by Alanon. "Amberle, I suspect the Ellcrys might have communicated with you while you were... uhm... unconscious."

Amberle sighs. How does he always seem to know? She clears her throat before recounting the vision. "So I was standing over Eretria when Saron... killed me, I guess." She sees Eretria wince at her words and decides to move along. "Well before that the Ellcrys tried to stop me by painfully sending me images of the end of the world. Let's just say it didn't approve of my decision." She tries to lighten the mood but fails miserably. She shakes her head and continues.

"When I fell unconscious, I went back inside the Ellcrys..."

" _Amberle" The female eerie voice she's familiar with, calls._

" _My head..." The Princess sits up, the pounding in her head now only a dull ache but she needs to recover a little._

" _Amberle !" The Ellcrys calls louder this time, making the Elvin brunette wince._

" _Yes, I'm here. Do you mind keeping it down ?" She sasses a little, probably not the best idea when trapped in a powerful magical tree but she has nothing to lose anyway._

" _You sacrificed yourself for Eretria, the very thing I warned you about." The Ellcrys scolds._

 _This feels a little childish compared to the seriousness of the situation, but she can't bring herself to care, she achieved a new level of peace by saving Eretria, and she knows the Rover will find a way to save the Four Lands with the help of Will and Alanon. That's when it hits her, she really made the right decision._

" _I know, but she can save me right ? With her blood ? If she died we wouldn't have her blood to protect us long term. I couldn't let that happen." She finishes truthfully. When she ran to throw herself between Eretria and that sword, she was thinking only of saving the Rover. But now, she might actually have made the best decision in that case._

 _The Ellcrys stays silent for a while, leaving Amberle to anxiously await its answer. After what seems like an hour, the voice fills the small space again, this time a little more friendly._

" _I know you didn't sacrifice yourself to preserve the Blood, but the result is the same. She will bring you back to life, it's not too late. I do have to admit, maybe this isn't doomed after all. By your love for each other, you protect one another until your end." The Ellcrys announces, seemingly speaking its thoughts aloud._

" _My end ?!" Amberle asks a little panicky._

 _The Ellcrys chuckles, surprising Amberle. Does it have emotions too ? "Your body can't go on forever, we'll talk about it when the time comes."_

" _Ok..." Amberle mutters, unconvinced._

 _That's when she feels herself being pulled away, her vision darkening progressively until she closes her eyes. When she opens them again, she's in the cave she saw Saron in, the first time. The Burning Tree's camp it seems._

" _Why am I here ?" The princess frowns, she thought she was going back to her own body._

" _Because I stole your mind on its journey back." A familiar male voice calls nonchalantly._

 _Amberle whirls around trying to pinpoint who the voice belongs to, but most importantly where he is._

" _Why ? Who are you ? Show yourself !" She demands with her natural authority._

" _Such a royal aren't you." He drawls out teasingly, while appearing out of nowhere. He's wearing a purple cloak and hood, masking his identity, but Amberle feels like she knows his voice from somewhere, she just can't remember. "Well I'll make this quick. I'm the leader of the Burning Tree, and I just want you to know... You will burn." He pauses dramatically, his voice conveying just how much glee this thought brings him. "Not today, but we will be back, sooner than you'd think. I will unleash the demons on the Four Lands and reign over the ashes of your loved ones, subjects and any living thing I encounter." The voice finishes dramatically and before she could answer his deranged rant, she's violently thrown back against the cave wall, losing consciousness with a grunt._

"And then I woke up with that weird taste in my mouth on the floor." She makes a face at the memory.

Eretria is the first to answer, or question in this case. "That's it ? He brought you to his cave just to make a weird speech about how he's going to rule the world by unleashing demons on it?"

Amberle nods, smiling at where this is going. She shares the Rover's amusement at how ridiculous this is. She knows the man in the hood is dangerous, and she needs to take his threat seriously, but his ego and that need to over talk _is_ a little funny.

"And I thought I had issues..." Eretria adds with a teasing smile.

"So the Ellcrys wasn't happy with you then it was okay but a weird guy in a hood is behind all this and he isn't giving up." Will sums up for everyone.

Alanon hums pensively, surely analysing the situation as always. Amberle and Eretria share a look and the princess's anxiousness visibly rises. The Rover frowns at that and limps a little closer.

"Hey, what's going on ?" She inquires quietly, knowing something's bothering Amberle.

"Eretria…" The princess pauses, clearly battling herself over saying something more.

The Rover raises an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate when they hear distant screaming coming from outside. The four of them look briefly at each other before Eretria sighs.

"Looks like we aren't done." The Rover laments before limping towards the large wooden doors, wiping sweat off her forehead. She feels colder than before and somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice tells her she needs to treat her infection, but she pushes it away.

The others follow her, Amberle picking up her father's sword on the way. They speed up, making it to the Priom Mor in record time with their respective injuries, but as they arrive, they all stop in disbelief.

They were prepared for more violence, blood and death. Not celebrations, laughter and embraces. It looks like all of Arborlon is assembled, the civilians back from the tunnels and soldiers back from the battlefield. Tired soldiers are running towards their families, happy banter is being exchanged between the higher officials, mother and children are crying in relief while music starts playing somewhere. Will smiles and joins the celebration, announcing he's going to look for Catania to thank her and Alanon quickly excuses himself so he can check on Ander, leaving the two girls alone.

The scene of pure happiness playing in front of them would have been contagious if not for the contrast with the background. Beyond the Priom Mor, Eretria and Amberle focus as one on the amount of bodies lacing Galaphile's road. Something's burning at the East Gate, smoke snaking up the sky. It's probably the first enemy corpses being cleared, the smell should reach them anytime and suffocate the city for days to come.

They look at each other in silence, understanding passing between them. This isn't over. This will happen again. The man in the hood is coming back. Not today, but in the near future.

"I need to see Dax." Eretria announces darkly, feeling the weight of deaths on her shoulders. Those she caused and the ones she witnessed. Those she wished for and the ones she couldn't prevent. Those she doesn't care about and the ones who haunt her. The one she's about to face.

"They must have moved the injured in the hospital wing. I'll come with." Amberle answers just as somberly. She isn't close to Daxian anymore but she cared for him once and Eretria will need someone there with her, whether she admits it or not.

They slowly make their way through the crowd, a pale looking Eretria leaning on Amberle for support as they reach the edge of the Priom Mor. They're heading for the soldier's gate, not wanting to waste time on the Royal one if it's still closed.

As they carefully navigate around the bodies, Amberle starts recognizing more and more Elves she new. Soldiers she trained with, the baker's son whose father used to add candy with their bread order when she came along, the blacksmith who made sure her father's blade was always perfectly sharpened, the kitchen boy who gave Catania the horrible stew on her twelfth birthday, the doctor who treated Eretria's arrow injury... They all died because of her. Because she selfishly came back, because she didn't think of the consequences this battle would have. They died for her to live.

"This isn't your fault" Eretria cuts through her inner despair.

She hadn't noticed they had arrived at the gate, or the tears slowly dripping down her cheeks. Eretria turns towards her, her arm still slung over the taller woman's shoulder to keep her balance. The Rover catches Amberle's gaze.

"You're not the one who caused this, the hooded man is. You're not responsible for so many of their deaths, that stupid general is, you had a plan that he screwed up. You're not responsible for their involvement, they chose to risk their lives for their city. You're responsible for so many of them coming back home tonight because you're the one who disobeyed the king and sent those scouts out, you're the one who rescued the civilians trapped in their homes, you're the one responsible for the demons not killing everyone in the first place and finally you're the one responsible for me being alive right now." She lets her rant sink in while bringing her free hand up to wipe away the Elvin's tears. "You saved me, Amberle" She adds softly, a wet smile of her own.

Amberle finds comfort in those brown eyes, shining with love and gratitude. She feels her sorrow lessening as the Rover's words make sense. She still feels guilt and pain for all the death but she knows the shorter girl is right, she always seems to be.

They look at each other a little longer, both fighting the urge to kiss until the princess sniffs ungracefully, eliciting a small laugh from a teary-eyed Eretria. Amberle playfully hits her arm in mock offense before dragging them pass the open gates, a smile back on her face.

"And the fact we can save each other assures the Ellcrys is protected for the years to come, better than before, since it'll take more than magic to kill you with me around." Eretria smirks, her cockiness back in full force.

It was meant to be a joke but it rang true to Amberle.

"You know you're actually right. I think that's what the Ellcrys meant. I will always save you and as long as you live you can save me from anything with your blood. They'd have to take both of us out at the same time and that won't be easy if we're careful enough." The Princess elaborates thoughtfully.

Eretria nods with a bright smile, all playfulness gone. At that moment, she swore in her head she would never ever run away from Amberle, ever.

As they enter the Silver City, their mood changes again. They both feel dread invading them as they make their way through the empty hallways. All is still and silent until they reach the hospital wing. The only word they could use to describe what they're seeing is _chaos_ , complete and utter _chaos_. Doctors and nurses are running around attending patients in the grand hall, lost children cry for their parents, wounded soldiers scream in pain while some bleed out from the lack of treatment. Clearly they weren't prepared for this many injured.

Amberle instinctually takes responsibility for this and sits Eretria on an abandoned cot.

"Don't move I'll be right back" She assures with an apologetic smile before running off, not waiting for an answer.

Eretria scoffs, amused and somewhat smitten by the vision of the princess ordering people around in front of her. She feels herself getting giddy and a little light-headed, is that what love feels like ? If so she would probably compare it to being high. As she looks over the large hall she suddenly remembers why she's here in the first place. Her mood darkens instantly and although she feels increasingly dizzy, she pushes through it and the pain radiating from her thigh to get up and search for her friend. She slowly drags herself through the rows and rows of wounded, scrutinizing pained faces as she passes. She doesn't allow herself to care for the agony some of them are in, she can't do anything about it anyway, so she keeps painfully dragging herself from makeshift cots to actual hospital beds to soldiers dying on the floor, stumbling a few times from dizziness, until her eyes land on the inanimate form she was looking for.

She stops dead in her tracks, unable to approach the lying form of Daxian on an emergency stretcher. Her mind goes blank as the reality of what happened finally hits her. He's dead. Her friend is dead. He'll never tell her when she's being an idiot again. He won't help her navigate the elvin society anymore. He won't laugh at her horrible jokes or make his own terrible ones. He won't wield his sword to protect people he deemed worthier than him. He won't make lonely kids feel important anymore. He won't kiss his fiancé ever again. He won't marry the love of his life. He won't make the world a better place.

She feels herself harden a little. Parts of her hope slipping away with the tears escaping from her pained brown eyes. This world might be too much for her after all, but she can't think about that right now, she needs to focus.

She limps closer to him, fighting the dizziness that just keeps getting worse. She knows her leg is infected. She probably has a fever too but she doesn't care right now she just needs to get closer to him. She needs to say goodbye.

She's nearly there but she's so tired, so so tired, and so cold too. A shiver runs up her spine but she focuses on keeping her eyes open. She stumbles, barely keeping herself upright as she grunts against the white hot pain in her leg. The adrenalin is completely out of her system now and she's a little overwhelmed by the state she's in. It's a miracle she's still standing.

When Zora died, she couldn't stop to honor her one last time, she couldn't even give her a proper burial. At least, here she can. So she keeps pushing through the dizziness, the tiredness, the cold and the pain. She fights true her blurry vision because this is a chance she never had : saying goodbye.

She's practically there after what feels like days but was really minutes, her body screaming at her to just lie down and sleep it all off. She shakes her head and barely manages to lower herself on her knees, leaning heavily on the little table beside Dax, a muffled cry escaping her lips but buried in the chaos surrounding her, although it appears to be getting calmer. Maybe everyone is dying too.

She takes Dax's hand in hers, while gripping the edge of the little wooden table to keep herself upright. She takes a deep breath, focusing all her remaining energy on Dax.

"Hey..." She starts lamely, curses herself and continues. "Sorry, I know you can't hear me." She pauses there, unsure of what to say until she decides she needs to stop thinking and just talk. She knows from experience with infections she doesn't have much time before she loses consciousness.

"You weren't supposed to die today you know." She smiles sadly. "You had so much more to do,so many memories to make. I'm sorry I didn't save you, maybe if I had been faster..." She frowns at herself, guilt surfacing. "I just want to thank you Dax, in the name of everyone you helped, but mostly for helping me out." Her voice cracks a little but she steadies herself. "I won't be able to repay you for it, and I won't make stupid promises to take care of Jace. He's a big guy and can do it on his own..." She smiles playfully but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I do promise to take care of the orphans, though, I know you cared a lot about them, just like I do." This time the smile reaches her eyes, but it's full of pain and regret. "I wish I'd known you better and longer, I wish... You could've... lived." She frowns, fighting against her body to stay awake. She's trembling so much now that her hand gives in and she crashes on her side, eliciting a pained moan. She looks up and can still see Dax so instead of trying to get back up, she holds his hand and utters her words as clearly as possible "Dax, I'm.. S-sorry... for..."

She tries to finish her sentence but the world is actually spinning around her now and she's powerless to fight her eyelids anymore. She lets them fall as she can hear a soft "Eretria" coming from above her. Someone's shouting in the distance but her brain can't process anything anymore, as her consciousness slips away.

The first thing Amberle does when she leaves Eretria on that cot is find someone capable of walking and not busy. It takes time but she spots a soldier crouched down beside another injured one.

"Hey." She greets as she arrives beside him. He looks up surprised to be addressed by the royal and quickly stands.

"Princess Amberle." He bows respectfully.

"I need you to go to the Priom Mor and ask for Alanon, tell him you're coming from me. He needs to send everyone with basic medical knowledge he can find here and volunteers too. Tell him to gather every mattress, needles, sewing thread and alcohol he can put his hands on. Tell him to bring anything useful for medical treatment." She orders quickly.

"Yes, right away, Princess." He bows again before running off.

She looks back to check on Eretria but she left her cot, of course. She sighs, frustrated before spotting her across the hall, making her way through the rows of cots and injured people, her face solemn but focused. She starts towards her when she spots the head doctor, a wise looking older woman, grey-haired, dark brown eyes and surprisingly soft features for someone yelling orders to people around her.

She approaches her and puts on her royal mask, there's no time for arguing or pleasantries.

"I've sent for people with basic medical knowledge, and volunteers to help out." Amberle interrupts, concealing her nerves.

"We don't have space for this." The head doctor barks, without lifting her head up from her patients, she yells at a nurse passing by for medicine, completely ignoring Amberle.

"I know, I think you should move the less injured to the dining hall and the ball room. There's plenty of space there where you can treat the less injured. This place is too crowded for efficiency."

That makes the doctor look up, confused. As soon their eyes meet, the older woman bows her head, her hands still in her patient's stomach. "Princess, I apologize for my tone, I..."

Amberle interrupts with a sign of her hand. "Don't. There's no need. You're doing a crazy job right now, and etiquette is the least of your worries or mine for that matter." She smiles kindly and the doctor relaxes a little before getting back to work on her patient.

"Thank you, with more space things will be more efficient." She quickly states before going back to yelling. " Marvin !"

A young, determined looking young nurse appears out of seemingly nowhere. His tanned-skin is covered in blood from head to hands but he doesn't seem to mind.

The head doc barks her orders at him, while cleaning up the now stitched wound. "Send any patient with superficial to moderate injuries to the dining hall and ball room. Dining hall for the ones requiring medicine or pouches and Ball room for simple stitches. If they need both, Dining hall. Reinforcements are coming, so volunteers without medical knowledge will help move patients and stick by a doctor or nurse to help where they can. Basic medical knowledge goes to Dining hall or Ball room evenly. I want Verka and Pyrease to monitor both rooms. Got it ?"

He nods firmly and makes to move when he abruptly turns around. "What about supplies ?"

Amberle is about to answer when Alanon arrives behind her. "43 people, 14 with basic medical knowledge all carrying a mattress, needles, thread and medical plants and potions.

"Perfect, send it all to the Ball room and Dining Hall, Marvin here, is in charge." The Doc hasn't lost a second and started on her next patient with renewed strength, hiding a proud smile.

Marvin's eyebrows shoot up in surprise before quickly barking his own orders around.

"How did you do it so quickly ?" Amberle turns to Alanon.

He smirks "Magic."

"I'm going to help him coordinate this mess, well done Princess." He adds with a kind smile before hurrying behind the young nurse.

Amberle smiles brightly at the praise.

"He's right you know, you'll be an amazing leader one day." The head doc tells her, still focused on her patient.

"Thank you. It means a lot coming from you." Amberle replies sincerely. She heard about the head doctor, a woman named Azayla Tilton, Commander Tilton's mother. She saved hundreds of lives during the Race War alongside the late King Eventine. Amberle's grandfather actually only survived because of her. Afterwards she became the youngest head doctor in Arborlon's recorded history.

"Would you possibly know where I could find a soldier named Daxian ?" The doctor has probably treated dozens of patients already so there's little chance she'll remember him or even know where he is but it doesn't hurt to ask.

"Describe him and his injuries." Doctor Tilton asks while examining an unconscious woman's head wound.

Amberle easily describes him. "He's tall and very strong, even compared to other soldiers. He has dark hair and green eyes. He wasn't wearing armour when he was injured. He took a dagger to the right side of his abdomen and was unconscious last time I saw him."

Azayla nods once before answering. "Back left corner of the hall, he'll live."

The simple statement makes Amberle sigh in relief. She quickly thanks her before darting in Dax's direction.

The hall is clearing out now and it's easier to maneuver towards the back. She spots Catania across the crowd attending a recently blind patient. The blonde looks up and they exchange a smile and a wave. Amberle feels like things are finally going to be fine. She may still feel responsible for the deaths and injuries but she knows she did, does and will keep doing everything she can for her people. Daxian will be okay and Eretria will heal and they'll figure everything together, about their relationship and the hooded man. Her happy thoughts are suddenly shattered at the sight of Eretria's state. The Rover is kneeling beside Dax's limp form. She's barely holding herself up as she can see her small frame trembling from where she's standing. The amount of agony she's in is written over her face, probably both physical and emotional. But what's truly bothering Amberle is the fact she's swaying a little and she's squinting hard on Dax's face, like she's having trouble focusing on him.

The princess walks steadily towards her struggling Rover, only to run, pushing through the now thin crowd when she sees Eretria falling on her side.

She can't help but yell the Rover's name as she nears the fallen human, but it's too late when she arrives, Eretria's unconscious.

"No ! No, no, no, don't do this to me." She mutters as she takes the burning brunette's head on her lap. "Help ! I need help !" She yells gathering attention around her.

She pleads under her breath for Eretria to wake up when Catania, Doctor Tilton and two men holding a stretcher appear. Azayla quickly assesses her injuries before giving out her orders.

"Take her to her room, I'll treat her there when I'm done here, Catania, disinfect her wounds and apply cold water to her forehead. Find the antifever medicine and pour it down her throat every two hours until I get there." She orders sternly and gets back up.

"She'll be fine Princess, the infection is bad but not fatal yet." She reassures kindly, clearly not as stressed anymore, before going back to her patients.

Amberle nods slowly, barely registering the words as the two men standing by move Eretria carefully onto the stretcher. Once she's secure they start towards the massive doors leading to the rest of the castle, Catania right behind them. Amberle moves to follow but is stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist.

She jerks away, surprised, but quickly realizes it's Daxian as he looks straight at her, trying to say something. She approaches his cot, concerned and crouches beside him. The soldier takes her hand and mutters something she doesn't catch.

"I'm sorry, Daxian, I can't hear you."

"Ere... Eretria..." He manages with effort, wincing in pain. "Ok ?" He asked weakly.

She takes a breath, unsure of the answer. It doesn't matter as the forest green eyes staring at her shut once more, his facial expression relaxed into slumber.

Amberle's torn, should she stay with him until Jace arrives or should she be with Eretria while she certainly is going through a lot of pain, unless she's unconscious. Amberle isn't sure what's best anymore.

Thankfully the soldier's fiancé arrives a few minutes later and takes her place, thanking her for the update and for staying with him. She rushes through the hallways and stairs she knows by heart until she arrives in front of her own room. She starts hearing them, the muffled cries coming from across the hall. She quickly approaches her ex handmaiden's door and enters without even knocking.

She's greeted by the sight of Eretria trashing in her underwear on the bed while Catania tries to disinfect her wounds.

"She won't stay still because of the fever, I need help." The blonde demands forcefully, etiquette out the window.

Amberle nods and keeps her emotions in check as she crouches beside the burning Rover, grabs her hand and traces patterns on her hairlines with the other.

"Shhhhh, I'm here Eretria." She assures, though unsure of the other girls response.

The Rover seems to calm down a little, squeezing hard the Princess's hand, while trying to focus on her favorite pair of blue eyes, biting her tongue to keep herself from crying out loud. She can't tell her how grateful she is for her presence, whether it's real or not. She's freezing now and she feels all sweaty and clammy but that's the least of her worries. The alcohol Catania is pouring on her wounds makes her want to throw up from the sheer pain the burn is causing her, so she holds Amberle's hand for dear life, focuses on her magnificent eyes and elegant features and tries to stay awake for her.

The process takes all of ten agonizing minutes until the only wound left is the back of her thigh. Slowly, the two Elvin girls turn her around, ignoring her little cries of pain in the process. But what Amberle wasn't prepared for is the muffled scream tearing through Eretria's throat as Catania washes the infected wound with the alcohol. Thankfully, Eretria loses consciousness right after but this sound will haunt Amberle's dreams for the night's to come.

The following days are spent between keeping an unconscious Eretria company, helping clean up the city and arguing with Will, Alanon and her uncle about the hooded figure. By the fourth day she's exhausted. She falls unceremonously on the comfy armchair she dragged from her room and placed by the unconscious human's bed.

"You should be awake by now." The Princess sighs, despair lacing her cracking voice. "Why aren't you waking up ? It doesn't look too pleasant in there." She comments on the nightmares clearly plaguing the Rover's fever induced coma. "I know you're not sure about me, but I need you Eretria. Everyone is driving me insane, either expecting me to solve every issue or ignoring my opinion completely. I need you to make it seem like it's not the end of the world, like tomorrow everything will be fine. Please wake up. I... I... need you." She finishes desperately just as someone knocks on the door. She quickly schools her features and wipes away the stray tear making its way down her cheek.

"I'm coming." It's probably another issue someone needs help with. She sighs, kisses the sleeping Rover's forehead and heads out of the room.

" _I can't believe I was dumb enough to sacrifice myself for you, you worthless bitch" Cephelo announces from his throne, elevated on a platform. She can see Will and Alanon's corpses thrown in front of him. She shakes her head, she needs to focus on surviving this someway._

 _Eretria tries to free herself from the rope tightly tying her wrist together but her captor, Baz, pulls the one attached to a collar around her neck, making her fall backwards. She barely catches herself on her tied hands, ignoring the humiliation and laughter coming from the dozens of rovers circling her._

" _Alright, you know the drill, break her then use her." Cephelo announces nonchalantly._

 _Eretria knows what that means all too well, she saw it happened to too many boys and girls Cephelo picked up on raids before selling them to the highest bidder, human or not. The Rover looks up, eyes pleading with Amberle sitting on his lap. She stares back for a second, eyes cold with hatred before kissing Cephelo passionately. Eretria feels like throwing up._

" _See that, even the girl you claim to love hates your guts." He cackles while the crowd roars with laughter. "Now come on people, make her bleed." He adds with a sick grin._

 _Suddenly something hits her in the back of her head, then catches her stomach before she falls. She gets back up and tries to evade the attacks coming from every direction but it's no use, they're too many and with her hands tied up, she can't defend herself._

 _They keep beating her up, breaking a few ribs, her nose, her ankle, her opposite knee until Cephelo's voice rings through. "Enough !"_

 _She's shaking on the ground, white hot pain coming from all over her body. She never experienced so much pain and she briefly wonders why she's still conscious._

" _Remember him ?" He says right above her. She jerks away surprised to see him so close so fast. He laughs at her before pointing to his back. Her eyes go wide as she recognizes the man attached to the wooden pillar by the throne, where Amberle is sat, draped over the armrests. It's Dax, the side of his bare torso is mutilated as he tries to stifle his cries._

" _And do you remember her ?" He points to the tall woman approaching from behind Dax._

" _N-no ! P-please don't... hurt him !" Eretria pants out through gritted teeth. Zora smirks and is suddenly crouching down in front of her. The deceased elf hunter grabs her by the chin before pressing a rough kiss to her bloodied lips. Eretria stiffens, eyes wide, as she struggles against her grip. Zora laughs while pulling back before slapping her across the cheek, disorienting the Rover as her head falls back down in the dirt._

 _Her ex is magically by Dax's side, wielding Eretria's own dagger. She blinks, confused, until Zora lifts the dagger to the whimpering soldier's heart. She draws back and smiles cruelly towards Eretria._

" _This is for betraying me all those years ago." She plunges the dagger in Dax's beautiful left green eye, making him scream, before drawing back once again. Eretria is in a state of shock. She tries to move, wiggling the limbs she can but Cephelo presses his knee to her back, making her ribs ache twice as more, and hindering her airway._

 _He whispers in her ear, his tone icy and crueller than she ever heard before. "Look at what you've done you stupid little girl."_

 _She's openly sobbing now, unable to move and powerless to save her friend, again._

" _And this is for leaving my body in the dirt for wild animals to feast on" She snarls angrily before plunging Eretria's beloved dagger in Dax's heart. The Rover tries to look away but Cephelo grabs her head and presses it in the dirt making it unable to move._

" _If you don't watch, I'll kill your precious Amberle next." He whispers in her ear._

 _So she watches as the life fades away from Dax's green eye, his feature frozen in pain before his head hangs limply on his chest, truly gone._

 _She can't stop the flow of tears escaping her eyes as sshe mutter's Dax's name over and over like a desperate prayer. A laughing Cephelo gets up, letting her breathe properly again. She thinks things can't be worse but Baz lifts her up by her hair, making her yell in pain from her whole body. He lets her fall on her knees in front of Cephelo._

" _I should tell you, your little blonde friend," he makes a signal with his head and Catania is dragged to her peripheral vision. She's cut and bruised, her whole body shaking from terror. Eretria doesn't want to know what they did to her. "She sold you out so I figured I'd avenge you. After all you called me father once." He laughs mockingly as one of his rovers slits the poor elvin's throat. Eretria shuts her eyes, this can't be happening._

" _Oh and thank you for the bunch of kids you brought with you, I needed new recruits after your treason." He laughs as her eyes go wide, enjoying torturing her as much as possible._

 _It seems he had enough fun as he announces. "Alright I changed my mind. Amberle, will you do us the honour ?"_

 _She smiles wickedly and takes Eretria's dagger from Dax's unbeating heart before slowly approaching the sobbing Rover. Cephelo moves out of the way as the Elvin princess takes hold of Eretria's hair, yanking it up to connect their gazes as she presses the dagger to her throat. Eretria's only comfort is the fact the last thing she'll see is Amberle's blue eyes, the only ones she finds comfort in._

" _W... Why ?" The Rover asks with difficulty, air becoming rarer by the minute, she must have a punctured lung._

" _Because..." She drawls out while crouching in front of her former lover. "You ruined my life, Eretria, all of this is your doing and I wish I'd never have met you." She snarls as stormy blue eyes narrow in pure hatred._

 _A second later, Eretria feels her throat being agonizingly slowly cut open, centimeter by centimeter. She feels her blood pouring out of the gash under her chin. She keeps her gaze in those eyes she adores as her life leaves her, until she can't keep them open anymore._

She wakes up with a start, sitting up abruptly while her stiffened body protests every move she just made. She tries to calm her heartbeat as she takes in her surroundings. She recognizes her messed up orange jacket draped over a chair with one of her shirts and pants. She looks around and finally calms down, she's back in her room. Eretria manages to stand up in spite of the dull pain in her thigh and the general soreness of her body.

She grabs her skinny leather patched grey pants and manoeuvres into them, glad she had underwear on. Once that awkward and slightly painful task is complete she moves on to the wool navy blue long-sleeved shirt, one of her comfiest. Since its dark out, it must be a little chilly and a good idea. She easily puts on her boots and ties them quickly. She needs to find someone she knows and ask what happened. She feels groggy and her thigh is still throbbing a little but otherwise she feels fine so she moves to her door. She foregoes her jacket as her shirt is already pretty warm.

She makes her way to Amberle's door and knocks but no one answers so she assumes the princess isn't home. She's about to leave the corridor when Catania appears behind her and hugs her tight. Now one could say Eretria isn't big on hugs as her previous experiences have demonstrated but after the nightmare she had, she can't help but hold the blonde as fiercely as she can, happy she's alive.

"You've been asleep for days !" Catania informs her as they part.

Eretria's eyes go wide, _days ?!_ She doesn't have time to answer as the little handmaiden drags her by the wrist down the stairs and towards the throne room.

"Amberle will be so happy to see you ! You're practically healed by the way, which is still hard to believe but I've seen it myself so..." She rambles as they arrive at the throne room's door. "Go ! they're all in there. I'm so glad you're ok. We couldn't be sure until you woke up. And now here you are !" She quickly hugs her again and leaves her alone with the two guards.

They nod to her as they open the door and apprehension fills her. How will Amberle react after everything that happened ? It'll probably be awkward. She's also a little uneasy due to her dream, but she'll be fine once she sees her for real, right ?

She slowly takes a couple of steps in and spots Will, Alanon, Ander and Amberle quietly arguing around the table they used to plan the battle a few days ago now. This is so uncomfortable.

The Rover stands there for a minute, unsure whether to interrupt or not until Alanon sees her. He smiles warmly at her, for the first time in their small history, and she can't help but smile back, his bloody corpse fading out of her mind.

The others look in the direction the Druid is smiling at and a gasp leaves Amberle's mouth.

"Eretria ! You're back !" Will says cheerfully, while walking over to her. He envelopes her in a bear hug, even going as far as lifting her up in the air. She can't hold back her laugh as she's truly happy to see him, after, like Alanon, she saw his lifeless body.

He puts her back down as Ander approaches her and rests his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're okay Eretria, we are indebted to you, but we'll talk later" He smiles kindly and leaves the room.

"We'll leave you two to it." Alanon keeps smiling as he pushes a reluctant Will out.

The two girls stand there awkwardly, neither brave enough to make eye contact, until Eretria's gaze lands on her dear dagger, at Amberle's hip. Her chest constricts with the sudden fear invading her. The memories of her nightmare overwhelming the voice repeating it wasn't real.

"Why do you have my dagger ?" The Rover blurts out bluntly, masking her fear by annoyance. Habits die hard.

Amberle laughs a little at herself while unsheathing it. "Oh... It just reminded me of you when I couldn't stay by your side." She smiles sheepishly as she moves forward to give it back.

In spite of the sweet answer, Eretria can't help but flinch and take a step back when Amberle approaches her, the dagger in hand. The Princess frowns at the movement, confused. She's about to ask what's going on when the doors burst open, revealing a panting Dax clutching his side as he half-runs towards Eretria, a happy smile on his face.

The Rover meets him halfway, relief and disbelief filling her. "I thought you were dead !" She says as they embrace each other, the two friends holding on to each other for dear life. They stay in each other's arms for a long minute, happiness making them giddy. As they finally part, Eretria playfully shoves him on his good side.

"You scared the hell out of me !" She fake scolds him.

"You can talk... Miss I-don't-wanna-wake-up-when-I-should." He playfully shoves her back.

They keep the banter up for a while, ignoring Amberle on the side who feels more and more confused.

"We should celebrate !" Eretria announces excitedly.

"Sure, it's not too late. The tavern still isn't open but the barracks have a great alcohol collection." Dax proposes.

"Alright let's go." Eretria immediately walks towards the doors, as fast as she can with her slight limp.

"Wait, Eretria..." Amberle pauses unsure of what to say before going with a stupid question. "What about your dagger ?"

"You should keep it... For now." Eretria answers awkwardly before darting out of the room.

"That's weird." Dax comments before turning towards the Princess. "Coming ?"

"Can't, still have to figure out our next move." Amberle answers with a slightly distracted shrug.

"You won't figure it out if you don't let your brain work. Stop figuratively bashing your head and enjoy yourself a little. You spent the past few days solving everyone's issues, brainstorming and talking to an unconscious Eretria. You need a break." Dax assures kindly.

"Not tonight, next time ?" Amberle asks genuinely.

The massive soldier smiles and replies "sure" before also leaving the room.

Another few days pass where Eretria drinks herself into a stupor then spends the day nursing her hangover and avoiding Amberle. She went as far as moving the time she trained the orphans so the Princess couldn't corner her.

This went on until finally Amberle had enough and asked Dax for help. He agreed, seeing his friend in such a bad state. That night, Eretria had a little surprise at the barracks when she went to party her troubles away. Amberle was nursing her drink at the bar, when their eyes met. The Princess smiled brightly at seeing Dax, Jace, Catania, Will and Eretria enter and joined their table in the corner.

This was such a set up and Eretria didn't even see it coming. She grunts and shifts a little uncomfortably. A move that went unnoticed except for Amberle and Dax.

The night moves along, everyone downing drink after drink and Eretria trying hard to ignore the Princess across from her, but it's getting harder with the more alcohol in her blood. As she feels a nice buzz she decides to face her fear and looks straight in those blue eyes she worships even in her nightmares. Instead of the hatred and anger she remembers, they sparkle with laughter and happiness. Eretria laughs at that, unable to reconcile the two images in her state, but she isn't afraid anymore. Everyone looks at her, in different stages of drunkenness until she announces happily.

" It's just I'm not scared of Amberle anymore." She explains with a bright smile towards the Princess.

"Ha ! Scared of Amberle ?!" Catania bursts out laughing and is soon joined by everyone else.

"Why is that so funny ?!" The Princess in question asks a little offended but still in a great mood, eliciting another round of laughs around the table, although she can't keep from joining in too.

They keep the mood all night until the sun starts rising. Their banter and laughter filling the empty break room.

"Hey can I show you something magical ?" Amberle whispers in Eretria's ear as they drunkenly stumble towards their respective rooms.

"Sure ! But you know I have magic now." She whispers back.

Amberle laughs at that, going as far as letting out a snort which in turns makes Eretria laugh hard.

"Not very royal, Princess" She manages through her laughter.

"Oh shut it, we both know how unladylike I can get" The Princess punctuates her statement with a wink and the Rover sobers up comically, a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks. The effect the Elvin has on her will never cease to surprise her.

Amberle laughs lightly at the reaction before taking the Rover's hand in her own and dragging her towards this magic. They enter a new part of the castle for Eretria and as they climb flight of stairs after flight of stairs, she starts to question if this was all a bad idea.

Until they reach their destination, the top tower of the castle. It's a small circular room with four openings allowing breathtaking views from all directions alternating with four spectacular stained glasses instead of windows. The room is bare except for an old sofa and a dusty bookshelf.

"My father used to come here when he didn't want to be bothered. He showed me once but after his death I couldn't come back, not until now at least." Amberle explains softly, getting a little sad at the mention of her father.

Eretria fights with her heart telling her to take the Princess in her arms to comfort her and her head telling her she's still scared. Eretria smiles at herself as her heart easily wins the battle at Amberle's clear need. She takes a deep breath and pushed her nightmare away. It' easier as the days pass by.

The Rover approaches her slowly and gently wraps the taller girl in her arms, craning her neck to let her bury her face on her shoulder, her nose pressing against her pulse point. They take comfort in each other's arms, both of them having missed the contact more than they thought. Amberle finally relaxes and reluctantly pulls away not wanting to push her luck. Still she can't help but press her forehead to the other girl's as her hands rest on her hips, Eretria's still gripping her shoulders.

"Thank you" The Princess whispers.

"I needed this too." Eretria answers honestly. She's tired now but wouldn't move for the world. They softly sway, stumbling a little at their drunkenness, eyes closed in that blissful moment when the dark of the night starts lighting up.

"Why were you scared of me ?" Amberle can't help but ask a little anxiously, this could go wrong.

Eretria sighs, her drunken mind telling her it's okay to speak.

"When I was unconscious, I had this horrible nightmare. You were with Cephelo" Amberle makes a disgusted face at that and Eretria chuckles a little. "And you killed me with my own dagger."

"Oh..." Amberle steps back a little, completely breaking their embrace now. They look into each other's eyes as Amberle looks pained while Eretria feels too vulnerable for her liking.

The Princess kneels in front of the Rover, taking her hands in her own.

"I swear I won't hurt you again if I can help it. I will be by your side as a friend or more for as long as you want me there and nothing you can do can make me hate you. Look into my eyes, do you believe me ?" She asks solemnly.

Eretria searches her eyes for the coldness that scared her so much but all she found was love and determination so she nods, realising this is the first time someone swore to stick by her side. Tears start stinging the back of her eyelids. She fails miserably at stopping them but the biggest part of her doesn't care anymore, not around Amberle.

"Are you crying ?" The Princess teases softly, making Eretria chuckle.

"Maybe..." She admits reluctantly while wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Come on." Amberle smiles lovingly as she wraps an arm around the shorter girl and turns them towards the rising sun.

They watch in silence, committing the beauty and peace of this moment to their memory.

"I see what you meant by magic" Eretria tells the Princess as they make their way back down.

Amberle just smiles knowingly and takes the Rover's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.

That's how they bump into Alanon in their corridor. He looks at them with a small smile of his own before clearing his throat.

"Meeting in the throne room in 5 minutes. I suggest doing something about your alcohol scent." He looks at them pointedly before disappearing down the stairs.

"So close..." Eretria says desperately thinking of her bed just a little further. Amberle chuckles and pushes her towards her bathroom.

They appear a few minutes later, teeth brushed and stupid grins on their faces, while Will arrives just after them, looking like a teenage troll with the bags under his eyes.

"Good you're all here." Alanon declares. Ander seems to be a little grumpy, probably due to the early morning. It's confirmed when he asks "Why so early, Alanon ?"

"The sun's out" he shrugs as a way of answer.

A collective groan is his response, the girl's good mood dampened by their lack of sleep. He chuckles a little before starting on a serious tone.

"We need to decide what to do about the hooded figure."

They all nod before Amberle states her opinion once more. "He knows I'm here. I need to leave to protect the city until we find him and take the fight to him."

"It's too dangerous." Will counters and Ander agrees.

"Eretria ?" Alanon asks her opinion.

"I think it's dangerous either way." She starts. "If she stays Arborlon will be attacked again or infiltrated, can I remind you all of the shape shifting demon ?" They all nod. "That guy has magic and we don't know what he can do, but she'll be vulnerable if he finds her out there too. Anyway I say Amberle is a sitting duck here."

"So you want her to leave ?!" Will asks disbelievingly before wincing at the volume of his own voice.

"Yes. It will be dangerous but ultimately I think it would be best." She nods.

"I agree." Alanon announces to Will and Ander's despair. "Eretria you're going with her."

"What about me ?" Will asks a little offended.

"I need you and your stones here. You need training and I need your help in finding the hooded man." Alanon orders without letting room for argument. Will nods reluctantly, accepting his fate.

"Your Grace ?" Alanon asks Ander.

He sighs, tiredness etched on his face "Do what you think is best, but please be careful, I can't lose you." He addresses his niece with a sad smile.

"I promise uncle." She replies confidently.

"Do you want any armed forces with you ?" Alanon asks Eretria this time. It seem she's in charge of Amberle's security when it comes to the Druid.

"No, we need to blend in and elves already have a harder time doing that." She looks apologetically at Amberle who just shrugs, already painfully aware.

"Alright you sent out at noon, it gives you time to reach a few friendly cities around. We'll spread word you left for the Wilderun, I suggest going in the opposite direction. We'll find you when we know where the hooded man hides." Alanon advises.

"Alright get some sleep and pack your things. We'll meet at the stables at noon." Ander dismisses them with a yawn.

Noon arrives and of course Eretria's late. She can run now so she sprints across the market until she reaches the stables, a little winded but cheeky grin in place.

"You weren't leaving without me were you ?" She asks playfully, making Amberle roll her eyes.

"I was thinking about it." She replies smirking at Eretria's fake offended look.

Their horses are already saddled and they just have to tie their bags to them.

As they finish, still exchanging banter, Catania bursts, scaring a few horses around.

"Good you're still here. Come with me, king's orders." She announces before turning around, not waiting for an answer.

They shrug, amused and follow their blonde friend on Aphen's road to the Priom Mor. They're intrigued when they enter the still closed tavern, but are pleasantly surprised as their friends and Amberle's uncle are here with an open bottle and a glass for each.

"After yesterday night, this is hard, but you're both worth the following puking." Jace jokes but looks a little green while raising his glass.

"Take care of her will you ?" Ander asks Eretria directly as he raises his own cup. She nods, fully intending on keeping her word.

"Come back, please ?" Catania asks, her voice cracking with emotion. Amberle and Eretria both hug her from each side while whispering they're promises to see her again soon.

"Never forget your own power." Alanon shares his parting wisdom pointedly before lifting his flask. Eretria's wondering what's in it when it's Will's turn.

"I'm going to miss you two." He smiles sadly. "Although I _am_ a little jealous." He adds while hugging them both in turn.

"Don't worry you'll have your own fun here." Eretria winks, making him blush furiously.

"Don't let her be an idiot and come back." Dax hugs Amberle before turning to Eretria, taking her by the shoulders.

"If you don't come back, me and the orphans _will_ kick your butt in the afterlife." He jokes, but he can't hide the sadness from his eyes.

"I'll come back big guy, I promise. You won't get rid of me that easy." Eretria promises while hugging him as tightly as she can. They part after a while and everyone raises their glasses. "To your coming back." Catania toasts and everyone joins them.

As everyone starts chatting away, Eretria engages Alanon in a private conversation.

"Is there anything new about my... Condition ?" She asks a little awkwardly.

"It's not a disease, it's magic." He chuckles before answering. "And no, all we have to go on is your deadly compulsions when it takes over, which isn't much. Just... Keep calm, alright ?" He asks her seriously and she nods, knowing she'll have to control her own rage on the road.

"Tell me, what made you stop earlier, when you clearly wanted to attack me ?" Alanon asks curiously.

"You mentioned Amberle…" She answers sheepishly before being whisked away by Dax. She missed the Druid smiling at himself.

Will hands his woolen hat to Amberle. "Here you might need it to hide your ears." He says sadly, his eyes downcast.

"Thank you, Will. Everything will be alright." The Princess assures while taking the garnment.

Once their glasses are finished, everyone reaches the stables and the Princess and the Rover mount their horses, Silver and Zora. They walk them to the massive Eastern gates, waving goodbye to what has become their family, and strangers bidding them farewell.

Once alone on the main road, Amberle feels the need to come clean.

"I know about your magic, I heard you and Alanon talking about it in the Sanctuary." She blurts out anxiously.

"Yeah I knew you were closer by the end of that conversation." She smiles.

"You're not mad ?" Amberle asks quietly.

"I wish you would've told me sooner but it's not a secret and I would have talked to you about it at some point anyway." The Rover shrugs nonchalantly.

"Anyway, it doesn't change my life much. I mean I was already a little…." She's cut off by a teasing Princess.

"Hot-headed ?" The Elvin supplies with a smirk.

"Yeah… _Hot-headed_ " Eretria agrees with a playful glare." And now it's just a little worse, right ? Nothing to worry about. I'm sure I'll be fine." She tries to convince herself as much as Amberle.

The taller Elvin nods but she makes a mental note to keep an eye on the Rover's temper.

The day is hot and only a couple hours later, they stop at a small lake Eretria knows about, to refill their leather flasks. She decides it'll be fun to prank the Princess so she quietly disappears behind the forest coverage.

"Eretria ?" Amberle calls as her companion disappeared.

"Eretria where are you ?!" She calls a little louder while approaching the tree line. The Rover snickers quietly, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Eretria ?! THIS ISN'T FUNNY !" The Elvin brunette yells towards the forest before yelping in surprise as something lands on her back.

She tries to fight it off when she realizes it's a cackling Eretria rolling off of her from laughter.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ?" Amberle yells at her, the adrenalin still pumping in her veins from her scare. She doesn't receive an answer from the still laughing bundle of human on the forest floor, which oddly strikes her as cute. She shakes her head, this isn't cute, it's irresponsible.

"Eretria !" She calls again, this time the Rover stops laughing, wiping the tears from her eyes as she gets up .

Amberle moves away, hiding her smile from a now groveling Eretria. "Come on, I was just kidding."

After she's back up on Silver, and a few minutes of silent treatment she finally breaks and can't help the small smile from her lips. "You're so not funny"

Eretria grins back and replies teasingly. "I so am, you can't admit it that's all"

"Yeah, I'm the issue here, not the fact that you're the most insufferable person in the Four Lands ?" Amberle answers sarcastically, happy with their banter. This journey won't be so bad. It might even be fun.

"Me ?! Insufferable ?"Eretria gives herself a mental high-five for repeating it right, guessing it means an insult. She should probably ask someone at some point "You weren't calling me that when I had you wrapped around my fingers, screaming…"

"Ok… Let's go… Now." The Princesses urges as she spurs Silver on, her cheeks redder than they've ever been.

Eretria catches up with her, still chuckling. She sobers up as they arrive at their first intersection.

"So, where to, Princess ?" She asks with a happy smile. She was excited about this journey.

* * *

 **A/N :** Finally another chapter. Let me know if you'd rather long ones like this (seriously I keep adding stuff as I write, I may have a problem) or shorter ones with less delay.

Also thank you for the reviews on the last chapter I'm glad you all liked it, and I hope this one satisfies.

Also, also I'm sorry about the image of Amberle and Cephelo together, it felt so wrong writing it but I needed a good fever induced nightmare for Eretria and that seemed to do the trick.

Yeah I took a page out of the 100 for that kneeling thing, I have no shame.

Next chapter : The second part of this story begins with a new challenge.


	12. Chapter 12 : Blast from the Past

**TW :** language, 'per usual

* * *

" _So, where to, Princess ?"_

Amberle smiles at the title. She hated it all her life, until Eretria started using it. Sure, at first, it was more an insult than a term of endearment, but since they warmed up to each other on their Quest, it's different. When the Rover uses it, it's full of affection and it brings her hope, because if a Princess and a Rover can get along, then anything is possible.

"I don't know, maybe we should go to my aunt's house ? It's right beside Wing Hove but secluded enough that nobody would notice us." Amberle suggests.

Eretria hums before answering. "Ok, but we'll need to be careful, Elves around here might recognise you and we can't trust anybody… I mean that". The Rover insists pointedly.

"I won't tell anybody who I am, and I'll change clothes at my aunts', alright ?" Amberle tries to reassure.

Eretria shakes her head. "No, you need to change now." The Rover dismounts Zora and takes her jacket off.

Amberle frowns at that but complies anyway, she trusts Eretria's judgement. She dismounts too, and starts stripping. She's done with her cape and is unbuckling the straps on her top when she hears Eretria clearing her throat.

"As much as I'd love to see those again…" She nods towards Amberle's breast with a teasing smile. "That won't be necessary." Amberle's cheeks flare up and the Princess looks anywhere but at the Rover, feeling the full weight of her embarrassment. "Here…" Eretria throws her her beloved jacket and starts mounting back up. "This should be enough with _Will's_ hat."

Amberle smiles at the clear disgust at the mention of Will's gift and complies with the Rover's instruction, her embarrassment forgotten. She puts on the slightly too small jacket and Will's woolly hat, looking more like a rover than anything.

"Welcome to the common life, Princess. Oh you need a different name too…" Eretria realizes. "How about… Amber ?"

Amberle bursts out laughing. "Seriously ?! How original" She teases through fits of laughter.

Eretria can't help but smile at the Princess. She truly loves making the other brunette laugh.

"Yeah, well there's a reason…" The Rover emphasizes before explaining. "If I forget and start calling you Amberle, I'll stop myself in time. It's a safeguard."

"Don't you think it's a little close to my real name. Especially if we're straying at my aunt's house ?" Amberle questions.

"Yeah…maybe. Fine ! What do you suggest ?" Eretria concedes, a little exasperated.

Amberle mounts Silver before answering "I don't know… Why not Leah ?"

"Yeah… Why not ?" The Rover shrugs.

Amberle frowns as they finally start moving again. "Do you know what Leah is ?"

"No… Should I ?" Now it's Eretria's turn to frown.

"Well…" The Princess is a little taken aback. "Yes… They're a powerful human kingdom in the Southland, you never heard of them ?" Amberle can't wrap her head around the fact Eretria wouldn't know about humans in the Four Lands.

Eretria smirks. "No, I know the Westland from the Kierlack desert to Shady Vale, nothing East of that. I could map it out eyes closed, but I can't be bothered with the three other Lands"

"Even if there's your kind there ?" Amberle pushes a little, surprised by Eretria's lack of curiosity.

The Rover sighs. "They don't care about us so why should I care ?"

"I don't know… Curiosity ? Maybe they could help humans here ?"

"Help with what ?" Eretria feels her mood sour at the turn of the conversation

"The trolls ? Maybe Rovers could settle down without the troll threat and other humans could help with that ?" Amberle rambles excitedly.

"We don't need them !" Eretria exclaims angrily.

Amberle frowns. She doesn't understand why the Rover is reacting this way.

"They don't care, okay ? Not in the North, the West or the South. They just don't. We're on our own." Eretria finishes softly.

"How can you be sure ?"

"Because when the Elves chased the Western humans from their homes all those years ago, they didn't come. So, I'm telling you, they don't care."

The Princess deflates, guilt for what her ancestors did overtaking her. She still tries to find hope with a half-hearted suggestion. "But it's been so long, maybe they changed…"

"Forget it, Amberle. Please just drop this." Eretria demands, frustration clear in her tone.

The rovers are always a difficult topic between them. Although Amberle understands them a little better, and tries not to judge anymore, Eretria's feelings are mixed up. She's one of them and despises them at the same time. Their history is hers but they also took so much from her, she just doesn't know what to feel. What she does know, is that if the rovers never existed, her father might still be alive and her life would've been very different. If the Elves didn't declare humans shouldn't be allowed on their Land due to their "destructive nature", she might have family, and she wouldn't have been as messed up as she is now.

A part of her finds comfort in the fact this life lead her to meet the blue-eyed brunette riding by her side, but she won't lie to herself by refusing to admit it's not enough to wish things weren't different.

Eretria sighs and spurs Zora on a little, needing a bit of space. She doesn't resent Amberle for what her ancestors did, but the subject angers her, which isn't a good thing with her magical issue right now.

Amberle lets Eretria take the lead, keeping silent while following her. She doesn't understand Eretria's point of view on rovers. Sometimes it feels like she's proud to be a rover and others it's like she hates them. They need to talk about it but not now, her companion is visibly exhausted and it wouldn't do any good.

So, they keep going South in silence, Eretria still brooding while Amberle admires the fields and forests they pass through. They stick to roads as much as possible, feeling a sense of security on their worn-out paths.

That would explain why they manage to fall into an elvin peasants ambush without noticing.

About a dozen angry peasants charge at them from all sides, screaming and yelling a mixture of insults and commands to each other, scaring the horses and surprising both women.

"Amberle go ! I got them !" Eretria shouts through the commotion while jumping on the nearest elf, daggers in each hand. She can't believe she let herself get distracted to the point fucking _peasants_ manage to ambush her. It's kind of humiliating.

"I'm not leaving you !" The Princess unsheathes her own sword and dismount swiftly, getting ready for battle. She doesn't know what they want but she won't let them get away with assaulting travellers.

Eretria smiles slightly at that, before focusing on disarming and knocking out her opponents. They seem more desperate than dangerous so she'll try to not kill them, mainly for Amberle. She does wonder what the hell's gotten into them, but they don't seem in a talkative mood so she does what she does best : fight then talk if there's survivors.

"What do you want ?" Amberle dodges half-ass attempt to stake her with a pitchfork. She'd find the situation a little amusing if her subjects weren't trying to kill her.

"Your deaths, Rover !" Amberle stops at that. Of course, they think she's a rover with how she's dressed. She's about to take her hat off and tell them who she is when she catches Eretria's eyes and shake of her head.

The Princess sighs, she doesn't want to hurt her people. So she kneels in the dirt, hands held high and announces

"We surrender, take us to your leader" She looks pointedly at Eretria, a small amused smile on her lips. If there's one thing she knows about her Rover, it's that she never quits willingly a fight. So, it's not a surprise when Eretria frowns disapprovingly, takes a few seconds to glare at the peasants around her before letting her daggers drop. She doesn't kneel though, which seems to infuriate their leader.

"Kneel rover, or we'll make you." The middle-aged woman seethes, clearly tired from the tension and fighting.

"I'm good, just take us to the one who's _actually_ in charge" Eretria smirks cockily. Amberle shakes her head, of course Eretria would antagonize whoever annoys her instead of using any bit of diplomacy.

"I'm the mayor, I'm the one _actually_ in charge." The elvin woman retorts before adding. "Tie them up."

"I don't think so…" Eretria takes a step back and puts up her fists in a defensive stance.

"Look, we'll come with you…" Amberle tries, knowing she couldn't ask the brunette to willingly let herself be tied up, not with her past. This situation was escalating way too fast for the Princess's liking.

"Like we'd trust you" The leader motions to her men. As they approach Eretria, though, the Rover throws the first punch and starts evading their attempts to subdue her. As she's about to kick one of them in the face, she hears Amberle calling her.

"Eretria stop !" The Princess pleads as her hands are roughly being tied behind her back. She doesn't want anyone getting hurt.

The Rover freezes as she sees the plea in Amberle's eyes. She sighs and starts kneeling, when an elvin teenager knocks her head with a thick wooden branch, effectively rendering Eretria unconscious.

"Eretria ! Eretria !" Amberle suddenly gets back up, knocking her captors out of her way as she reaches the Rover's side.

She relaxes a little when she sees the steady rise and fall of Eretria's chest, at least she's alive. "She was surrendering, you idiots !" She berates the peasants, fury taking over her previously calm features.

"If she's injured, you'll answer for this". The Princess in her can't help but spit as they secure Eretria's unconscious form on Zora.

At that a few of the villagers exchange confused looks, but the group hikes towards the village, a little further north. Amberle starts regretting her decision to surrender but follows anyway, keeping an eye on the Rover's slumped form.

They enter the small village past the fields as the sun sets. Amberle finds it quite charming with its wooden houses and red roofs. What she assumes is the town hall stands proudly across the square where stalls are being packed for the night. Her admiration is cut short by a harsh shove from one of her captor.

"Put them in jail, we'll deal with them in the morning" The mayor orders tiredly. They bring Eretria down from Zora and start dragging her towards the town hall, Amberle close behind but they're stopped by a voice coming from the gathered crowd.

"Wait ! That's Eretria !" A small girl points excitedly, her messy blonde hair covering half of her face.

"Don't be silly, why would she come back ?" A boy a little older admonishes.

"It's her ! Look at the other's jacket and the braids !" The little girl pushes brightly. "Granny ! Come and see !" She's now dragging an old elvin lady towards the prisoners.

"Alana… Let me see so I can calm my granddaughter down." The old woman asks, an amused smile on her features.

Alana, the woman in charge sighs, but agrees anyway. "Alright, but be quick about it." They stop, Amberle watching curiously as the old woman brushes Eretria's hair away from her face.

"This is Eretria, bring her to my home and have the stable boy take care of their horses" The old woman orders with an authority Amberle couldn't suspect.

"Feyra, are you sure ?" Alana presses with a frown on her face.

"Of course I am, that woman saved my grandchildren, I'd recognise her anywhere." Feyra asserts a little aggressively before turning away and shooing the crowd away.

"Told you it was her." The little girl smirks at her brother on their way to their home.

Amberle isn't sure she understands what's going on but she follows the men now _carrying_ Eretria, the old lady and the two kids. It beats spending the night in prison. As they arrive to the door, Alana unties Amberle with a glare. "If you cause any trouble, you and your friend will be hanged. She may have saved the townspeople, but it doesn't mean I trust her." The mayor warns before swiftly leaving with her men, who dropped the Rover unceremoniously by the fire.

The three remaining elves enter quietly the house, before Feyra locks the door. The old woman then turns towards Amberle, a warm smile on her aging features. "Tell me, my dear, who are you and what brings you around our parts ? I don't believe the both of you are here to rob the honest folk of this town." She adds playfully, hinting she might know more than Amberle first suspected.

The Princess brushes off this feeling and focuses on a lie : " I'm Leah, Eretria's… _friend_." She winces internally at the word. "We're going towards Wing Hove to visit my aunt." She's unable to hide the glint of sadness in her tone at the mention of her aunt, she just hopes the wise old woman didn't pick up.

If she did, Feyra doesn't say a word. Instead she turns towards the lifeless pile of rover on the floor and checks her head. "Children, go make dinner please, I'll make sure our guests are properly looked after" Kayla and Graig both groan at this but comply.

Amberle's surprised children this young would be trusted with such a task, and of course Feyra picks up on it.

"I want them to be able to take care of themselves if something happens to me. Gods know it's a miracle I'm still alive." She chuckles while cleaning the small cut on Eretria's forehead.

Amberle smiles a little uneasily while kneeling beside the old woman. "How is she ?" The Princess inquires nervously. She tries to rationalize, this is just a tiny cut, Eretria should be fine. But her mind can't help conjuring up images of a struggling Eretria, either unable to talk or to remember who she is. She's seen it happen to soldiers with head injuries and the prospect is terrifying.

Again, Feyra seems to read Amberle's thoughts as she answers reassuringly "Don't worry, _Leah_ , she'll be fine. No permanent damage with that small of a blow. She might have a headache and a bump on the forehead for a few days but that's it."

Amberle smiles brightly, finally relaxing in the warmth of their host's home. From what she's seen so far, it has a main living room containing also the kitchen by the foyer and two bedrooms. She assumes a bathroom is around the corner.

"How do you know Eretria ?" Amberle finally asks the question bothering her since meeting the older elvin. The Rover never said anything about acquaintances in the area, especially not humble villagers.

"Well, dear, she saved my two pumpkins." Freya smiles fondly at Eretria's unconscious form.

The Princess frowns at that. "When ?"

"A little while ago… here let me get you a warm drink" Feyra suddenly stands up just as Eretria's eyes flutter open, followed by a barely contained groan.

 _How does she do that ?_ Amberle wonders about the old lady.

She shakes her head and scoots closer to Eretria. The Rover, now awake, bolts up, fear evident on her features. But Amberle quickly pushes her back down, locking eyes with her.

"Hey… hey lay down for a while, you're safe." Amberle reassures while soothingly untangling the Rovers dark locks.

Eretria squeezes her eyes shut. Her head hurts but Amberle's gentle motions helps calm her down.

"Where are we ?" The Rover inquires quietly, trying to relax as much as possible in an unknown location. Not something she's used to.

"A Feyra's house…she said you saved her grandkids so she took us in." Amberle informs, tilting her head to better see her Rover's face. The cut, well more of a scrape really is clean, and except for the crease between the Rover's eyes, she looks peaceful. She hopes the headache isn't so bad.

Eretria smiles brightly at that. "Yeah, I remember… On the way to Arborlon from Safehold, rovers attacked the farmers and Will insisted on saving them… So, I did."

Amberle barely contains her scoff. Like Eretria would do anything Will asks. She has no doubt the brunette would save Will's life without hesitation, but that's' all he'll get from her. No, _she_ wanted to save them and she did.

"Well she seems to think you're the hero, she never mentioned Will." Amberle shrugs, feigning nonchalance but really trying to make the Rover in her lap admit the truth.

Eretria chuckles at that and opens her eyes "She clearly doesn't know me."

Amberle stops her ministrations and frowns "You're a hero you know... a reluctant hero, sure" they chuckle at that "but a hero nonetheless." The elvin princess finishes softly, conveying the sincerity of her words with her eyes.

The Rover answers with a shrug "If you say so, Princess". She's confused by her feelings about this. She's never seen herself as a hero, more of a _I'll do the right thing if it benefits me_ kind 'a gal. But as always, Amberle challenges her beliefs about herself. A hero ? Her ? The deadliest Rover in Westland ? Well by her own assessment, but it still counts.

She can't deny some heroics in the past few weeks, but is it enough to balance the years of robbing and murdering innocent people ?

She shakes her head to rid her mind of those guilty thoughts, regretting instantly when a wave of pain makes her wince.

"Feyra says it's nothing serious, just a bump on the head." Amberle smiles reassuringly.

"A bump I wouldn't have if a certain someone let me kick their butts." Eretria feigns anger but can't contain the teasing in her tone.

"You see one of the disadvantages of being a Princess is you kind of care about your people" Amberle smirks back. "I couldn't let you hurt them, especially when they thought we were rovers."

"Well they got that half right." Eretria mumbles under her breath but Amberle catches it.

"They wouldn't have hurt you if they had realized who you were."

"Yeah…but…" Eretria trails off and leaves it at that to Amberle's frustration.

"But what ?" The Princess asks softly, afraid to push Eretria. She learned the hard way that the smallest of things could make the Rover's wall shoot up. Not that she blamed her, but still, she needed to be careful.

Eretria sighs. "It's just… What if other rovers decided to stop assaulting people ? They'd still die for the crimes of others, all rovers are too blame for everything according to elves." She sits up at that and stares down into blue eyes as she says. "There's no way out."

Amberle frowns, she never thought of rovers as individuals before Eretria, and she was always an exception in her mind. But what if some of them just want a normal honest life. Come to think of it, that's what Eretria always wanted, freedom.

Eretria starts pacing, suddenly agitated at the subject. "I bet you didn't even know there's different groups of rovers, right ? Some groups rape their victims, others kill their own if they do it. Some only steal cattle, others attack only wealthy voyagers. And yeah, most kill, but usually only when there's resistance. Then there's the ones who take pleasure in murdering. But that doesn't matter since we're all the same and we should pay for everyone's crimes, right ?" She challenges angrily. She doesn't blame Amberle for it, but the elves have a lot to answer for.

The elvin princess frowns, she never thought of it that way. Their system is actually quite unfair and she'll need to speak to her Uncle when they get back to Arborlon. There must be a way to help them get out of their lives, and it's certainly not by blaming all rovers for every crime. Still, Eretria did admit something.

"But rovers are all criminals Eretria, we still have to arrest them on sight…."

The Rover sighs and sits back down. "I know… But what if we could change that ?" Eretria finishes thoughtfully.

They're interrupted by Freya coming in with three warm cups of tea on a tray and an even warmer smile. "I hope you like camomile, that's all we have around these parts."

"That's fine, thank you." Amberle takes a cup and passes it to Eretria before taking her own.

"Thanks" Eretria grunts, still a little defeated.

"Don't look so sad, child. You'll find a solution." The wise woman reassures through sips of tea.

"Alright, how do you _do_ that ?" Amberle demands, a mix of curiosity and frustration in her voice.

"Do what ?" Freya questions back innocently, only her eyes betraying her amusement.

"Seem to know what we're thinking." Amberle frowns at the unlikeliness of that being possible. Then again, magic.

"And know things you shouldn't." Eretria grumbles, remembering when the old lady called her by name at their last encounter when she didn't tell her.

"Ah…" Freya smiles "Well, I'm a Seer. My power allows me to have a glimpse into people's thoughts when I look at them." She answers matter-of-factly, like it's the most common thing in the Land.

"A Seer…" Amberle repeats, brow creased. That explains a lot.

"Wait, like Catania's boyfriend ?!" Eretria exclaims, grabbing her dagger. She eventually got the whole story about Bandon from Amberle when the Princess interrogated her about her friendship with the blonde. Eretria likes to think she might be a bit jealous.

"No not like him. From what I can see, he turned and I quote, _bat-shit crazy_ " Freya laughs lightly and Amberle smiles at the weird human expression. "I used my powers to help King Eventine with justice, nothing more. I've been retired for twenty years now."

Eretria puts her dagger away but keeps a wary eye on the old Seer.

"I'm no danger to you, Eretria. Or do you prefer Tria ?" The grey-haired elf teases.

"Ok, stop reading my mind. It creeps me out." Eretria demands quietly while looking away.

Amberle's smile falters and is replaced by panic. "Wait ! Does it mean you know who I am ?"

"Yes Princess" Eretria is about to unsheathe her dagger again, ready to take Amberle as far away as possible, "but don't worry, I'm the only one wo knows, and it'll stay this way. I don't wish harm on you or Eretria. I don't even know who you're running from."

Eretria breathes a sigh of relief at that and takes another sip of her tea. Camomile isn't her favorite but it'll do. Amberle on the other hand frowns.

"How is that possible ? I'm thinking about it right now."

"He's cloaked, very powerful magic." She answers as the kids run in from outside, a skinned rabbit and chopped vegetables between them. The adults cease their conversation and let the kid's banter relax them. They'll be time to talk later.

Or not. Right after a rowdy rabbit stew dinner, where Eretria showed off her troll impression to an entertained audience and Amberle learned more about the secret to her grandfather's fairness, they washed up and settled for the night on a makeshift bed by the fire.

As Eretria's eyes are already starting to slip shut, the tiredness from the past couple of days taking their toll, Amberle can't help but wonder if fate brought them to this woman's doorstep. First Eretria saved her grandchildren, then she saved them from a night in the town's prison. And now it turns out she's a Seer of all things.

The Princess sighs and settles besides the sleeping Rover, maybe a little too close for platonic friends, but she can always blame the cold. She probably should have thought it out though as she wakes up face-to-face with a wide-eyed brunette in her arms.

After a few seconds of uneasy staring, they abruptly separate and sit up.

"So…uhm… how's the head ?" Amberle asks awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

"Yeah… it's… good" Eretria answers shakily.

They're saved from further embarrassment by a screaming Graig storming through the living room. Both women jump up, blades ready for the threat to come. The threat being a hysterical Kayla brandishing a gigantic spider caught in a glass jar.

Amberle joins the little girl's laughter and sheaths back her sword. She nearly doubles over though when she catches Eretria's back running out of the house.

She follows the young boy and her travelling companion out, tears still in her eyes as they both looked relieved but still on alert in the middle of the street.

"So… You're scared of spiders huh ?" Amberle teases openly.

"No shit ! I just ran out for fun" Eretria rolls her eyes, clearly unamused.

"Graig it's gone, you can come back in." Freya yells from inside.

"It just appeared out of nowhere while we were eating breakfast by the garden. And of course, my sister had to capture it to hold it over me." Graig grumbles under his breath as he bravely goes back in.

"But we slept in the forest before, it's crawling with insects." Amberle insists when they're alone, astonished that her fearless Rover could face an army of trolls but not a simple spider.

"Yeah, well I just don't think about it." She brushes off inexistent wrinkles on her clothes before slipping her dagger back in its sheath by her waist.

She's saved from further inquiries about her phobia by a teary-eyed Kayla appearing on the threshold, followed by Graig and Freya. The old lady is carrying a woolen bag with her. They make their way towards the women.

"I figured you'd like to leave before the village awakens. Let's go to the stables."

They both nod and the small group walks the short distance towards the stable in heavy silence, only interrupted by Kayla's sniffles.

"Here are some provisions for the road. Please come back when you're around" Freya holds out the bag, a sad smile on her features.

"We will and thank you for your hospitality. We won't forget it." Amberle takes the older elvin in her arms for a bear hug.

"It's nothing. Please, just don't let your guilt hurt her even more." They separate, Amberle a little confused. "Basically, don't screw it up with Eretria because you feel like you don't deserve redemption." Freya happily adds, ignoring the Princess's wide-eyed look to move onto Eretria.

"So, tell me. What are people's darkest desires ? I bet on power." The Rover asks mischievously.

"You're right for some. Most I've encountered though, whether it's trolls, gnomes, elves or rovers, just want peace, a simple happy life. They just don't know it." The Seer shrugs before stepping back, allowing Graig to approach the frowning Rover. Her words might have sparked something.

Eretria comes out of her trance and grabs Graig's shoulders to pull him into a tight hug. He grew on her even more the previous night. She's actually reluctant to go, feeling at home with these people and Amberle. Maybe Freya's right, she just wants a simple life. She sighs and shakes her head. This isn't the time to think about this. She's brought back by a mumbled "be safe out there" in her shoulder.

She smiles and holds Graig at arm's length, looking him straight in the eyes. "I sure will, kid. And if anything happens…"

"I know just run as fast as possible to Arborlon with Granny and Kayla. I'll protect them, I swear." He cuts solemnly. They quickly hug and nod to each other one last time before turning towards a heap on the floor.

The heap being a sitting Amberle hugging a now fully sobbing Kayla, soothing her with comforting hugs and promises to come back. The little girl seems inconsolable until Eretria sits on her other side. Kayla immediately latches on to the Rover's middle for dear life, leaving Amberle to rub her back comfortingly.

They stay in silence a few minutes, before the cries subside a little and the three of them carefully get back up. The Princess leaves the hugging duo to take Graig in her arms, her own emotions overwhelming her.

"Goodbye, Leah. Take care of Eretria for us." The boy mumbles in Amberle's shoulder. He doesn't talk much, especially compared to his sister but he clearly cares for the human and the Princess quietly promises she will, sniffling back tears of her own.

Kayla finally releases Eretria and looks up, determination burning in her eyes.

"Will you come back ?"

The Rover smiles confidently to the little girl. "Yeah, I will."

She must've believed her because she relaxes a little. Still she needs to confirm. "Promise ?"

"I promise. Remember the last time I promised to come back, I did." The Rover reminds the small blonde, brushing her tears away, just like that day.

"Ok." Kayla simply replies before rushing to her Granny's side. Graig is on his sister's other side, holding her tight.

The girls nod to each other before saddling and mounting their horses, Silver and Zora, who whinny in relief to see their owners again.

As they set out of the village, waving goodbye to the people who took them in, fed them and treated them like family, another question arises.

"I don't think Wing hove will be any better, any community will be suspicious of outsiders. We need somewhere else, any ideas ?" Eretria states thoughtfully.

Amberle frowns, she doesn't really know. They stay silent a few minutes, Eretria letting Amberle think. The Rover has an idea herself but she's a little nervous to share it, so she lets the Princess think while building up her own courage.

The Elvin brunette grins teasingly. "Well you're in charge of my security, so you decide."

"Wow, is the Princess delegating to a Rover ?" Eretria answers back with an eyebrow raised.

"We're undercover, so technically, not a Princess anymore". Amberle answers matter-of-factly.

"Right, we need to work on a cover story" Eretria sighs. They better get it right or they'll be in a lot more danger than just the hooded freak.

"So ?" Amberle pushes, tearing Eretria out of her thoughts.

"Right, destination…" The Rover takes a deep breath before blurting out : "Whydon'twetryunitingthefourracesinWestlandagainstthehoodedfreak"

Amberle chuckles at Eretria's nervousness, this never happens and she decides to take full advantage.

"I'm sorry what was that ? I don't speak anxious teenager." She jokes.

Eretria reddens instantly, and feels anger bubbling up from her embarrassment. "First of all, I'm an adult, have been for a while…"

"And don't I know it." The Princess cuts in suggestively, before bursting out in laughter at Eretria's shocked expression.

The Rover tries to compose herself by focusing on her anger but she can't get used to how Amberle can be so casual about their sex life sometimes or completely embarrassed other times. It confuses her but she shakes it off for now.

"Anyway…" She pointedly glares at the Princess. "I'm not anxious either, I just had a dumb idea and I realize now I shouldn't have said anything".

Amberle smiles at Eretria's attempt to brush her off diplomatically.

"Okay, look. I'll stop teasing, please tell me your idea and I'll tell you if it's dumb." At Eretria's lack of answer, she adds "It's just us here, Eretria. Please feel free to tell me anything." All playfulness is gone between them and Eretria sighs. She really shouldn't have opened her mouth.

Eretria nervously repeats herself. "Fine… I thought that… maybe… we could… try… uniting the four races against the cult. But just in Westland." She adds, trying to make it look more plausible. Still pretty impossible but better than the entirety of the Four Lands.

Amberle frowns at the idea. This would be a miracle and would definitely give them the upper hand. She doesn't know what the hooded man has in store for them, but an army couldn't hurt. The thing is, how are they going to do that ? The four races hate each other at different levels, they don't even communicate beyond violence from all sides. So how are they supposed to convince them to work together.

"I shouldn't have said anything, forget it." The Rover dismisses, mistaking Amberle's silence for disapproval.

Eretria is about to spur Zora on when Amberle grabs her forearm.

"Wait, no this is a great idea but how are we going to get them to agree to an alliance ?" Amberle ignores the relieved smile appearing on the Rover's face.

"Well, you heard the old lady, most people want peace. So we give it to them." Eretria shrugs, she didn't really think about the specifics of the uniting."

Amberle frowns, thinking hard. As they cross the field and get back on the road, she has an idea.

"Humans need settlements protected from trolls, so if the trolls agree to stop raiding humans, rovers might stop killing trolls and having to rob Elves" Amberle thinks out loud.

"And if elves stop arresting everyone who isn't an elf in Westland, maybe the gnomes would back off" Eretria chimes in excitedly while stopping Zora, Silver automatically following.

"It's a little more complicated than that" Amberle sighs, facing Eretria. The hope in the Rover's eyes dims a little, compelling the Princess to blurt out "but I can make it happen with some negotiation."

Amberle doesn't like thinking, talking about or even mentioning gnomes since her father's murder, but this is beyond her and if she can secure peace in Westland, she'll put her feelings aside.

"You okay ?" Eretria inquires worriedly. She noticed the sad expression on Amberle's face since she said the word _gnome_.

"Of course. Let's start with the humans. Where to ?" She asks with a fake smile that doesn't fool Eretria, but the Rover doesn't push it. Amberle never pushes her so she'll return the favor. She'll file that in mid for later though.

"Well Grimpen Ward of course" Eretria smiles sweetly, knowing the Princess will hate it there. They head south again at a small trot.

"Great, the Rover town, at least we'll fit right in." Amberle states sarcastically.

"Oh cheer up, Princess, I promise you it's not that bad…. You might even like it." Eretria assures happily. She didn't go often to the rover town but each time was a blast. They had fun there with Zora as Cephelo was always too busy to keep an eye on them. Plus, the folks actually living there weren't bad, they just did business with the rovers. She even had a few friends there.

"Right, I'm sure I'll love a town full of criminals, definitely my style." Amberle retorts, fighting her own smile.

"Well, I'm a criminal… And I'm pretty sure I'm your style" Eretria teases with a wink as she spurs Zora into a gallop.

Amberle just shakes her head, a small smile creeping up. The banter and cheerfulness brings a warmth to Amberle's heart. A warmth she hadn't realized she craved since she broke Eretria's heart, something she will never do again. But right now, just the two of them in the woods, she has hope for them.

* * *

 **A/N :** Hi ! So, it's been a while. I know this chapter isn't as long as others but it felt right to cut it here. Plus it's a fluff fest, what the hell happened to me ? ^^

Finally, the goal is set for the second part of this fic : uniting people who hate each other against a common enemy. Easy four our heroines.

Next time : An undercover elf navigates a town full of rovers, what could go wrong ?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't hesitate to review ! Good or bad it's always awesome to have feed back 😊

Also SEASON 2 IS OUT ! Sorry needed to share my excitement :D


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